LightenApp

Aviary photo editor

2016-04-08T05:31:00.000-04:00

If you ever need to edit an image on your iPhone, Aviary is the go-to app.
It's free and gives you a bunch of essential photo editing features like stickers, cropping, effects, blemish removal, frames, drawing tools, and more...

http://apple.co/1S73IFM

Get It!

Monument Valley

2015-12-04T08:16:00.001-05:00

If you haven't played Monument Valley get it now. It's free for now on iOS and it's spectacular
https://appsto.re/il/HaoAR.i

Scanbot

2015-05-03T06:19:00.001-04:00

There are a bunch of scanner apps out there but Scanbot is a real leader (and it's free).
It automatically detects the document you are scanning and snaps the picture when everything is optimal.
It then crops your document so your final document is aligned perfectly.

And to top that off, it uploads automatically to a bunch of different services. I set it up so that everything uploads straight to Dropbox. Perfect!

Scanbot is available, for free, for iPhone, iPad and Android.
https://scanbot.io/
https://appsto.re/il/p3TWX.i

Launcher with Notification Center Widget

2015-03-25T18:03:00.000-04:00

Launcher by Cromulent Labs lets you configure different actions you can launch directly from your iPhone's Notification Center.

This may sound boring at first but it's actually very useful. You can set it up to easily call or send a message to your significant other, or launch your navigation app (Waze for example) and have it navigate home. All with just one click!
Since this is essentially a widget that lives in your Notification Center, your actions are accessible easily no matter what you are doing with your phone. Just swipe down and click on the action you want.
Very simple and saves you a lot of time and hassle.

https://appsto.re/il/iLR81.i

How to quickly change the case of a word on iPhone

2015-03-16T04:18:00.000-04:00

Turns out that in iOS8 Apple introduced a way to easily change the case of a word on iOS devices.
It's pretty simple, once you know how to do it.

First of all highlight the word (makes sense):

Hit the shift key and you'll see your selected word in the suggested words but with a capital letter at the beginning:

Double-tap the shift key to switch to capslock
Now you'll see a suggestion with the highlighted world in all uppercase:

Also, if you want to switch the word to lowercase just select a word and in the QuickType suggestions you'll see the word in lowercase (when the shift key is off).

Thanks to this Reddit user who discovered this tip.

ViewExif

2015-02-17T13:28:00.001-05:00

ViewExif is not for everybody but if you are interested in seeing the information embedded in your photos, this is the easiest way to do so.
https://appsto.re/il/Vnhw4.i

Shades

2015-02-08T16:45:00.001-05:00

Shades is a simple puzzle that kinda seems like a modern version of Tetris.
Get the game

Ultimate Guitar Tabs

2015-02-02T12:50:00.001-05:00

Ultimate Guitar Tabs, the best app for guitar players, is now 70% off! If you play guitar and have an iPhone you should have this app.
http://apple.co/1VDkJXx

Get It!

Chicken Boy

2015-01-29T05:22:00.000-05:00

Chicken Boy is a fun game with great graphics, cool sound/music, and is a lot of fun to play.
Aside from the cool characters they nailed the gameplay and it really offers hours of enjoyment.

Oh, and it's free (for both Android and iPhone).

Get It!

Pushbullet

2015-01-28T08:21:00.001-05:00

Pushbullet is simple and awesome. It lets you easily get things from your phone to your computer or from your computer to your phone. And the great news is that it's now available not only for Android but for iOS and Mac.
Oh, and it's free.
Get it!

Spark Camera

2015-01-28T07:38:00.001-05:00

Spark Camera lets you easily edit short videos directly on you iPhone. http://apple.co/23o9zIW

Nudifier

2015-01-28T07:25:00.000-05:00

Here's an app that makes everyone look naked. Lot's of fun http://bit.ly/1Lh01qM

Loopy HD

2015-01-28T07:19:00.000-05:00

Loopy HD, the app that lets you create music by layering tracks, which was seen on Jimmy Fallon, is now only $3.99 http://apple.co/1Nd59Lq

Get It!

Strata

2015-01-28T06:47:00.001-05:00

Strata is a beautiful iPhone puzzle game. Very fun to play and work your mind http://apple.co/1MYmZXX

Get It!

Workflow

2015-01-28T06:26:00.001-05:00

Workflow the simple automation app for iPhone, is only $1.99 for now. Grab it!
http://apple.co/1XkYaFZ

Get It!

Rhythm Calculator

2012-08-14T17:51:00.000-04:00

Rhythm Calculator is a tool for musicians who are learning new pieces of music and struggling with the rhythmic content.

It allows them to input the rhythm, as seen on the sheet music, and listen to it played back in perfect time and tempo.

The iOS Calculator style interface makes the app's UI instantly familiar. The musician can then play along with the app until they have mastered the rhythm.

It's a great practice tool for music students and a great teaching tool for teachers.

Rhythm Calculator costs $1.99 in the AppStore.

Get The App...

StillShot

2012-05-14T01:30:00.000-04:00

StillShot is one of those basic apps that's so obvious it has to exist. Well, now it does, it was launched today.

In essence, StillShot takes any video that you have and converts selected frames from it into high quality photos.

The most obvious use of this is when you setup your camera to take a shot, everybody lines up and smiles, you click the button, and suddenly you notice that your camera is set on video mode. With StillShot you have nothing to worry about, just fire up the app, load the video, choose any frame that you want from the video, and save it as a still image.

StillShot is also useful when objects are on the move and it's hard to catch a specific moment.
Of course you can also use StillShot for capturing a special moment from a video and use it as your desktop wallpaper, to send as a photo to a friend, or even to print and frame.

The app can extract frames from any video, without any special requirements. StillShot keeps the original resolution of the video, for example on the iPhone 4s the resolution is 1080p (1920*1080px).

StillShot was created by Macademia Apps, the same guys that created the awesome GroupShot app (if you don't have that app you should definitely get it).

Get The App...

Solar-Powered Bikini

2012-04-29T18:55:00.000-04:00

Everybody knows that battery life is the biggest problem with our gadgets today, especially smartphones like the iPhone. We've already seen a camp stove with USB that charges using fire and even a mask that converts the air in your breathe into electricity.

So guess what's next? A bikini of course.

Andrew Schneider, a designer from New York, designed this solar powered bikini that has a USB connector that you can use to power your different gadgets (like a phone, camera, mp3 player, etc...). It's made out of solar panels that are woven together using conductive thread.

The biggest surprise is that you can actually swim in this bikini (preferably if you are a woman). The bikini itself conducts all the electricity to your electronic devices, it doesn't store any power in the swimsuit itself, so feel free to jump in the pool while wearing it. Just remember to disconnect whatever gadget you have connected to it before you take the plunge.

The swimsuit costs £120 and he's already accepting orders now on his site.

Sphero

2012-04-25T18:03:00.000-04:00

Sphero is part robot, part ball, and a whole lot of fun.
Actually, it's a gadget, a toy, a controller, colorful ball, and a cat toy all rolled up in one.

In short, Sphero is a cute little remote control ball which you control via apps on either your iPhone or Android.

Here's their promo video where you can see some of the cool things you can do with a Sphero:

Pretty impresssive stuff ah? It even works in water!

It’s the first robotic ball gaming device that you control with a tilt, touch, or swing from your smartphone or tablet. You can even use Sphero as a controller for on-screen gameplay. Sphero delivers a unique mixed-reality experience with single and multi-player apps that let you engage in the virtual world and play in the real one.

There are a bunch of different apps you can use with Sphero, here are some in action:

Sphero gives you over an hour of full throttle play and even charges with cable-free induction (it has a cute docking station that you just plop the ball into and it charges).

Even President Obama had a good time playing with and controlling Sphero. You can see him here playing around with it and actually saying "Excuse me, give me some space to drive my ball.":

Sphero costs $130 and you can order it online today (from their site or ThinkGeek).

Mustache Bash

2012-04-18T21:02:00.000-04:00

Now it's time for a serious app. One that every man and woman on the planet needs.

Mustache Bash lets you easily add funny mustaches to any photo. You can choose a picture from your camera roll or take a new one, choose from a variety of different mustaches, and just smack a mustache on any face.

The app has a wide gallery of different mustaches and beards to choose from, some realistic looking and others unrealistic. Some are included free and you can purchase additional mustache packs. Once you choose a mustache to add to your photo you can move it around to find the perfect spot to add it, choose it's color, and resize it so it fits exactly like you want it.

Once you've completed your masterpiece you can share it on Facebook, Twitter, and email, or just save it in your iPhone's camera roll.

Mustache Bash is free in the AppStore and comes included with quite a few different mustaches. You can purchase additional ones from within the app.

Now go get it and share your creations. But I mustache you to behave with it (see what I did there :)

Get The App...

XLR8

2012-04-17T20:05:00.000-04:00

Get your motors running...XLR8 is an app that will save you ~~thousands~~ hundreds of thousands of dollars. And it's a lot of fun.

XLR8 (get it, it's pronounced accelerate) turns your plain old Ford Focus into a Ford Mustang (and for another 2 bucks, a Lamborghini). Ok, it doesn't really turn your car into one of those cars, but it does make your car sound like an exotic super car.
And in a really cool way.

XLR8 uses your phone’s accelerometer and GPS to see exactly how fast you are going and plays a sound of what it would sound like if you were driving a Ferrari or other similar cars.
So as you speed up you hear the gears shifting and the motor revving, and when you slow down and stop at a red light you hear the engine growling softly as is idles.

To get the best results, secure your phone in your car and connect it to your car's stereo system. Then crank up the volume and just start driving, the app will make it sound like you're driving a monster.

The app also has a manual mode that you can use to play around with when you are not driving (or if you want to manually shift gears in the app while really driving, but that sounds pretty dangerous).

XLR8 costs $0.99 and is available for iPhone and Android. It comes with one car sound included, a classic V8 muscle car. You can use in app purchases to unlock the other cars or purchase a 4-pack of car sounds.

Drive safe!

Get The App...

To-Fu 2

2012-04-16T11:54:00.000-04:00

In today's game you play a chunk of tofu. Sounds exciting, right? It's actually quite a pleasant surprise.

To-Fu 2 is the the sequel to the popular iOS hit, To-Fu: The Trials of Chi. It also was runner up for the 2011 Apple Game of the Year. When I first heard about it I thought a game about tofu would be boring but since it's free I decided to check it out. Turns out this puzzle game is actually quite fun.

In To-Fu 2 you are a blob of tofu that you can stretch and fling across the room. Your goal is to reach the "Fortune Kitty", which is basically a pink glowing orb.
You drag and stretch the block of tofu and then release it in order to fling it in the direction you want (they call it "ping" or "pinging"). If you stretch the tofu and hold it for a few seconds before releasing you get a "super ping" which can break wood and is faster (useful for getting past flickering lasers for example).
The different levels have booby traps, platforms, and other obstacles that you have to get around or avoid (like spikes and metal saws that you aren't allowed to hit).

In addition, in order to score more points you need to try to reach the fortune kitty in the least amount of flings and grab as many chi jewels as possible (trying to collect all the chi pellets is pretty hard on some levels).

The graphics and sound are not too fancy but pretty good and very cute.
To-Fu 2 is free in the AppStore and you can pay $0.99 if you want to remove ads (as an in-app purchase from within the game).

Get The App...

Piano Dust Buster - Song Game by JoyTunes

2012-04-15T08:14:00.000-04:00

Music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band were such a huge hit because they let anybody become a rockstar. Figure, which we covered a few days ago, lets you create electronic music. But what about a game that just teaches you to play the good old piano? JoyTunes has you covered.

Piano Dust Buster - The Song Game by JoyTunes lets you use your own real piano, or a 3D virtual one, to learn how to play your favorite songs. And you don't need any wires or adapters, the game is activated by a real piano/keyboard. It "hears" what you are playing and the game progresses accordingly.

It's a great way to get kids to love playing music, just like Guitar Hero, except with JoyTunes they are actually learning how to play a real instrument, and they're practicing as they play. So your kids think they're playing video games but they're actually practicing the piano :)

Piano Dust Buster was designed to teach musical skills while in the fun and engaging environment of a game. It teaches note names and rhythm while the player is accompanied by rich and high quality concert music for the song they are playing.

The app has a big selection of free songs at various levels of difficulty, including - The Entertainer, La Bamba, Swan Lake, Bach Air on G String, Auld Lang Syne, Amazing Grace, Beethoven’s Ode To Joy, Jingle Bells, Fur Elise, Mary’s Little Lamb, and many others. Additional free songs are added all the time.

If you don't have a real piano or keyboard you can use the 3d virtual keyboard to play Piano Dust Buster.
It only runs on the iPad and is free in the AppStore.

Get The App...

Large Aperture Pro

2012-04-14T11:10:00.001-04:00

One of the things that makes photos look great is a narrow depth of field, that soft blur in the background that makes the object of the photo really stand out (while still giving it some context in the background).

Large Aperture Pro lets you add that effect to your photos and make your backgrounds look out of focus. The way the app works is that you load a photo and then mark the areas of the photo that you want to blur out.

Here's an example of what a shallow depth of field looks like when taking a picture:

and the same flower taken with a less shallow depth of field:

The app gives you some basic drawing tools, like the size of the brush and how far it extrudes from where you're touching the screen (a great little feature by the way, it lets you draw on the screen without having your finger hide the actual part you're drawing).

Once you've drawn the entire background that you want to blur, just choose the aperture size and the app will create the blur effect accordingly. The larger the aperture size (the bigger the opening on the camera), the shallower the depth of field will be, and the more blurred out the background of your image will look.

The app itself needs some improvement. When you first launch it, it's not really clear what to do. You need to first click on the icon at the top left, with the arrow, in order to load a photo. I suggest you then click on "Aperture" at the bottom and move the slider all the way to the left to choose F0.95. That will create the strongest effect. Then just play around by touching different parts of your photo and see what happens. Once you get the hang of it then try it out for real on a photo that you really want to touch up.

Once you get past that, the results you can create with a bit of patience are pretty good.

Get The App...

Figure

2012-04-13T08:40:00.000-04:00

Figure is a fun app that anybody can use to make music. Without any musical training you can create your own music that sounds great.

Professional and even amateur musicians have expensive boxes and programs for creating and recording songs and beats. With Figure anybody can do it, even while on the go, and get great sounding results.

The app gives you a simple interface for laying down the different elements of your track. You can record drums, bass, and lead synth. At first the app may seem a bit confusing, but as you start playing around and tapping the different parts you quickly get the hang of it.

Every part of the song that you want to record is controlled by sliding your finger across the play pad for that instrument. The app makes sure that you always stay in key and on the beat, so the results always sound good. With a little playing around and practice, the results sound great.

The fun thing is that you don't need any previous playing skills in order to get good results, and if you do have previous experience with creating music, you'll just create better results faster.

As you lay down your different tracks you can go back to each individual instrument and tweak it on the fly. You can change the sound (for example there are tons of different basses and drum kits to choose from), change the rhythm, the complexity/intricacy of the part, and the final mix between the different sounds.

Figure costs $0.99 and works on iPhone 4 or higher and iPad. It is not recommended for iPhone 3GS.

Get The App...