Application Review: Color Splurge

Rating: 10 out of 10
Pros: Brings awesome color and a high quality appearance to your photographs.
Cons: None.
Overall: Color Splurge  is an application that I looked at and first just thought that the app’s screenshots were just blown up and did not appear like anything the app could actually do. Well I can tell you I was WRONG. Color splurge allows you to do so many different things to your photos. From the traditional things like black and white to adding color to help bring out something in the picture you’ve taken. The app allows you too bring the most professional look to a photo from your phone device possible. I was overwhelming impressed with how accurate I could be when customizing my pictures. Another huge factor to me in any app whether its a game or just app it needs to have good customer support and explaniations. The developer Vijay Doddavala really has made it his job to make sure everything that you can do inside the app is explainded to you before hand. When you first start the app you get an explanation of how the apps work and what buttons do what and in Doddavala’s most recent update to Color Splurge he has added a video tutorial as well. This just screams to me that this developer is dedicated to his app and is going to do what it takes to see it succeed. Finally I do want to mention that you are able to upload the pictures directly to Facebook, Twitter, an email, and save to your photo album right from within the app. The app is free so GO GET IT!

App Cost: FREE
iTunes App Store Link

Mipow Maca & Maca Air

Rating: 8 of 10
Pros: Great colors, record album feel on the back is great for grip, both are minimalist tic, on off button, sync and charge, affordable.
Cons: The plastic top could have been designed better.
Overall: The Mipow Maca series is a solid battery case and served me quite well at both CES and Macworld.  With either the Air at 1200 mAh or the 2200 mAh priced at a reasonable $79 you really can’t go wrong.

Head on over to the Mipow website to check out all their products and pick up a Maca.

Application Review: Charades

Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Brings together a classic game on to iOS devices and allows others to compete from all around the world.
Cons: The wait time to play with others is a bit long.
Overall: Last week I did a review on Charades that brought together the classic game straight to the phone. That version of Charades was limited to one person only. I found this creative but did not like the price of the application ($1.99). I continued my search and I found another game named Charades. This one does exactly the opposite of last week.

This weeks application review of Charades focuses on playing Charades through iOS devices. Charades does have a busy menu screen when you enter the application. Once you go through it you learn the gist of everything and its location. Charades allows for a great amount of customization. It goes as far as having an iPod player built right into the application. The application does offer a training option to allow users to practice and learn the ins and outs of the application and what objectives you may face. I find myself personally using the training a lot. I find that my fingers are big and makes it hard for me to draw on the iPhone in general, so the practice area is much appreciated. You could almost play training the entire time, as it will give you many different items to draw helping you improve your skills. The game crashed 2 times on me during the initial setup phase but after that it was smooth sailing and a pretty positive experience. The only other negative I had was that connecting through Game Center took forever. I  waited 5+ minutes to connect to a person who left shortly after we started. I think as more users see this game and  hopefully start playing this issue will naturally be resolved. I know personally I would love to challenge somebody in Charades through my iOS device. There are ads inside this application that pop up in the middle of the screen when doing certain actions such as entering the multi-player area.

There is a free version and a paid version of Charades. The paid version removes the ads, removes the wait time for you to enter game center, and also unlocks a few additional functions

App Cost: FREE
iTunes App Store Link

iHome Mini Color Changing Rechargeable Speaker

Rating: 9/10
Pros: Extremely compact, easy to carry and puts out great audio quality.
Cons: When playing music with very high base or at the highest volume the device moves along the surface since it is not very heavy in weight.
Overall: iHome is well known for its truly amazing sounding products.  The iHM61 Mini color changing rechargeable speaker although small does not fall short when it comes to sound output.  It is extremely small, compact, easy to travel with and provides incredible sound quality.  Coming in at only $25.99 it is affordable and a must have for any iDevice or MP3 user that loves to listen to music on the go.  If you’d like to purchase this product you can do so by visiting the iHome.com website.  Let us know your thoughts on this device, and if you own one how has your experience been with it?

XePort 7010-0 Earphones

Rating: 10/10
Pros: Incredibly affordable. Amazing sound for 20 dollars Incredibly well built and looks really sleek.
Cons: None
Overall: This is, by far, the best value headphone at 20 dollars. You get fantastic build quality and sound that is heard at some headphones around 100 dollars. The sound for the price is absolutely phenomenal and as a result, merits the Editor’s Choice Award.

You can purchase this product from XePort.com for $19.95

A Tethering App Sneaks Its Way Into The App Store.

Apple is fairly quick about pulling these types of apps. So if you’re interested in tethering your phone, without paying your carrier’s fees, you should pony up the $1.99 for this app. As shown in the video above, getting tethering to work isn’t the most straight forward process but it works. If you’ve purchased this app please let us know if it works as described.

Available in the iTunes App Store

Kickstarter: Koala from Dockem

Review of the pre-production Koala iPad Mounting system from Dockem. This unit is projected to retail for $19.99 but you can get yours for about half by supporting their Kickstarter Campaign. HURRY THERE IS ONLY A FEW DAYS LEFT!!!! The links to their website as well as their Kickstarter page are below:

Dockem
Koala Kickstarter Campaign

Dunu-Topsound Crius DN-13

Review of the Dunu Crius DN-13 in ear headphones by TopSound. Good sound right around $70. Go check out all their products at www.Dunu-topsound.com

Application Review: Bingo Jungle

Rating: 9 out of 10
Pros: Interesting gameplay, Challenging
Cons: Confusing at first.
Overall: Bingo Jungle is a game that takes traditional bingo and puts a complete spin on it create a whole new way to play bingo. The game forces you to be alert and thinking as you pick your skills and watch the numbers spin. What I enjoy mose about playing is the fact that you bet before you play. In real bingo you don’t bet, you just pray the old lady that bought 5,000 cards and has that magnetic chip collector sitting next to you doesn’t win. In Bingo Jungle its just you betting and playing (thank god) Overall though I was a little confused and almost made an in app purchase when trying to choose my skills but after some looking around I figured out however thing works. Stepping back from the gameplay the graphics in Bingo Jungle are awesome and take full advantage of the iPhone’s retina display. If your look for a game that is a little challenging but fun check out Bingo Jungle!

App Cost: FREE
iTunes App Store Link

PureGear PureTek Roll-On Screen Shield Kit

Rating: 9.5/10

Pros: One of the best polyurethane screenshields on the market. By far the easiest screenshield install I’ve ever done. Screen clarity is awesome and you don’t loose that glass feel.

Cons: A little pricey. Misaligned the home button ever so slightly. One time use.

Overall: This is a brilliant product from PureGear and I loved installing a screen shield with this product. Quick, easy and no hassles at all, which is unusual for a polyurethane screen shield. This is an absolutely fantastic product and for it’s revolutionary design, it warrants the Editor’s Choice award. Check it out on PureGear’s website.