ClickTickBoom

Loving Your iPad

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:38:00 +0000

Tablet PCs are great aren't they. Take the iPad for example, it does pretty much everything the average laptop user wants to do and fit it all in a light, slimline product that makes you look like the dogs dangles in front of anyone, young or old. And whats more, they aren't a hassle to carry about. It's only the size and weight of a book so can easily be slung in a bag and taken anywhere you like (well, maybe avoid the swimming pool with one).
That can turn a little sour though when your bag also contains a hammer or other such weighty item and during your exuberant run for the bus the iPad gets friendly with the hammer (or other such weighty item) and comes out second best. After the inevitable visit to the police station to explain why you are running for the bus armed with a hammer you will soon be met with the heartbreaking disappointment of a broken iPad.
But why didn't you buy a case???
We spend so long mulling over the purchase of a large item such as an iPad but never spend the time, or money, considering how best to keep it in tip top condition or how to get the best out of it. Take the iPad headphones for example, they look nice in their white splendour but are they the best headphones out there? Not on your nelly, the sound quality is adequate and they only seem to last approximately 13 minutes before they give out so the ideal here is to purchase some better headphones and really get the most out of it. Otherwise, you're essentially buying a Porsche and leaving it on the driveway.
Our advice is to head on over to our friends at Gearzap.com for all the latest accessories for your iPad and ensure you're not introducing your iPad to that hammer and actually getting the quality and experience you paid for.

Keep Off My Hill Released!

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:17:00 +0000

A recent App release has really caught our imagination here at ClickTickBoom and we wanted to bring you news of it straight away. A full review will be winging its way to you shortly but here is the lowdown for now.
You are cast into the shoes of a mysterious author of a lost journal, chronicling an epic battle of survival fought atop a remote mountain. Facing a constant threat from mutant creatures, sentient military robots, and otherworldly aliens, you must use a variety of makeshift weapons and your quick wits to defend and expand your fort. Rich and colorful 3D graphics, intuitive controls, simple mechanics, and a gently scaling difficulty curve make it perfect for kids (9+), as well as casual and mid-core adult audiences. However, the game offers plenty of strategy and challenge for core gamers too, at higher levels!
• An entirely different POV on a defense-style game, made for the tablet!
• Casual yet challenging action-strategy gameplay, with intuitive touch controls!
• 12 improvised weapons, allowing for lots of clever combinations!
• 14 fun enemies, including fearsome Bosses!
• Hours of gameplay across three seasons of battles, including intense Bonus Stages!
• Amazing 3D graphics, great music & sound!
• Story journal, Workshop, Hint Book, Game Center, Facebook, and more!
• Freemium: Enjoy one full season of battles FREE!
• Developed by a veteran console team!

Hopefully the game will turn out to be as good as it sounds. You're free to try before you read our review of course but if you'd prefer to wait for our take on the game then make sure you check back soon to find out our full thought!

Win a Nexus 4!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 18:48:00 +0000

Want to be in with a chance of winning one of the hottest smartphones currently on the market in the Google Nexus 4? Our friends over at mobilefun.co.uk have a competition on for you. Simply click on the link below to take you direct to the page and you could get your mitts on one, its that simple!!! What are you waiting for?

Enter the competition here

Samsung Camera Soft Case SCP-B5 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 18:39:00 +0000

The first thing you need when purchasing a new camera is a case, well that and a memory card I suppose but you take my point. You've spent what feels like days researching the best camera out there with the best zoom, the best megapixels and the best appearance. But this appearance is means nothing when the first thing you decide to do with your new pride and joy is wrap it up in a hideous case. The answer, it would seem, is to spend the same time considering the case that you purchase as you spend considering the camera itself.
When doing this the trap most people will fall into is simply buying the manufacturers own case to go along with the camera they have purchased. What can go wrong? It was designed to specifically hold the camera right? Its also the same style as the camera so will be the same quality right? Possibly. Or possibly its just a lazy accessory with the same badge on but very little care or thought taken in its design as the manufacturer knew it would be an easy sale.
Which one of those scenarios is entirely dependant on a number of factors so careful thought needs to be taken before making the purchase.
We recently chose to assist in this process by reviewing some manufacturer own camera cases, more of which we hope to bring you in the coming weeks, and first up we have chosen the Samsung Camera Soft Case available now from lovecases.co.uk who have a number of Samsung cases available for same day despatch.
This case is recommended for compact cameras and is an official Samsung product. That said, there is nothing in the rule book that states you can't put a camera from another manufacturer in it. The case itself carries the same quality feel as most Samsung products around currently and despite the thickness of the material is very light indeed so is perfect for encasing your new camera and still fitting into a pocket or handbag without causing discomfort.
There are a few reservation though which some may see as a trade off for it being so small and light. The first is that with it being a fabric case the protection it would allow a camera suffering a significant fall is questionable. Sure, it would protect the camera from knocks and scuffs whilst being carried around in a bag but would it allow adequate protection to a camera bouncing down the stairs? I'm not brave enough to find out.
My second reservation is the size. It's a small case for a compact camera but, as we all know, compact cameras do not come in one size so I would recommend checking this before purchase. We tested the case using a Samsung WB150F camera which is arguably a bridge camera so likely to be slightly larger but Samsung do list this camera as a compact model so I would make the assumption it would fit in this case. Sadly I am wrong and whilst its possible to get the camera in the case shutting the flap is not possible.
The third and final reservation surrounds the lack of other pockets on the case. If you want to be carrying extra batteries or memory cards in this case you are out of luck. This will carry the camera and nothing more.
Overall, the case itself feels well made and of the quality you'd expect from Samsung, it is just a shame that the case has a few shortcomings for someone looking for it to provide more than just protect from bumps and scratches.

Hello Kitty Camera Case - Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 11:31:00 +0000

If you have small children like me then you will know that gadgets such as smartphones, laptops etc are a magnet to them. You will also know that a favourite of theirs is a digital camera, probably because they can pretend to be just like Mummy or Daddy taking pictures and instantly see the fruits of their labour on the screen at the back. Some companies have picked up on this and started creating cameras specifically aimed for this market with bright plastic casing capable of taking the inevitable knocks and scrapes a toddler will inevitably give it. These can be overpriced though and a simpler answer that I have discovered is just to either by a cheap, regular digital camera that won't matter too much if damaged and abused or buy yourself a nice shiny new camera and let your little darlings inherit the old one that you no longer want.

But how do you convince your child that the boring grey camera is actually better than the bright plastic camera which has a picture of their favourite cartoon character on the front? Well, the answer is simple. You buy a camera cover.

The one we chose to review is this Hello Kitty case which is sure to please any female under 16 (and probably ones much older!) and is available from our friends over at www.lovecases.co.uk .

The case is cheerfully emblazoned with the familiar face of the Hello Kitty character and is made of a hard plastic with a gloss finish. This hard plastic is ideal as it gives the camera inside a great deal of protection. The zip to open the case goes around all four sides of the case but the case is prevented from opening wide and spilling the camera on the floor by some bright pink material on the inside which forms a snug pocket for your chosen camera to slip in.

Size wise this case is small and designed for a compact camera. We tested is the case with a Sony Cybershot compact camera and the case fitted it perfectly although is doesn't have any additional pockets for spare batteries, memory cards etc so if you regularly want to keep these close to hand you may wish to think again. We also tested the case with a Samsung WB150 but this proved to be a bridge too far and this camera (which is arguably more a bridge camera than a compact camera anyway) proved too large.

Overall we were impressed with the Hello Kitty camera case. It's a sturdy case which is sure to offer protection to the camera and appeal to Hello Kitty fans. The lack of an additional pocket to place spare items is disappointing but hardly surprising since every effort has been made to ensure the case is not overly bulky. If you're in the market for a child friendly (or just love Hello Kitty) case then you definitely can't go far wrong choosing this case.

Galaxy Note 8 News

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:50:00 +0000

Back in February Samsung surprised the world by announcing a new addition to its growing family of smartphones and tablets in the Galaxy range. This addition is to sport a quality 8 inch display and the intuitive S pen that the Note has become renowned for and the good news is that it is now available for you to get your mitts on.

Boasting an 8 inch display, 2 GB RAM and coming in either 16GB or 32GB storage the Galaxy Note promises to take the PDA to the next level and marry together the benefits and power of a tablet with the portability of a smartphone.

If you plan to be the envy of all the commuters on the subway or your fellow coffee junkies in Starbucks make sure you consider how best to show off and protect your Galaxy Note 8. Our friends over at Gearzap have a wide range of options for you from official Samsung accessories to simple screen protectors all at great low prices so you've no excuses!

Don't forget to let us know your thoughts on the Galaxy Note 8 in the comments!

We're back!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:20:00 +0000

Well it has been a long, long wait for the loyal readers of ClickTickBoom but the wait is now over and we are back.
Coming very soon we will have reviews and news going live on the site to keep you up to date on the very latest of gadgets, mobiles, cameras, apps, video games, films and more!
We will also be working very closely with a number of companies to ensure that you know where to go to get the very best prices and service.
If you know of anything we may have missed or may be interested in then please, please, please contact us with details and hopefully we can cover it. Alternatively, if you're a company with a product you think we, or more importantly our readers, will be interested in please let us know!
Once again, thank you all for your patience.

Flower Village - Standard Edition App Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:46:00 +0000

Flower Village Standard Edition
Version 1.2
AKM Masuduzzaman

Sometimes its nice to kick back on a train journey or waiting for a bus and enjoy a bit of time playing a game on your iPhone or iPod. Sometimes you don't want to spend that time stressing out over shooting things or throwing birds that are angry at pigs about the screen. You want to spend your chill out time, well, chilling out. What App can you play then?
The answer is upon us ladies and gentlemen. For the more laid back iOS App gamer there is now Flower Village, quite possibly the most relaxing iOS game you will ever play. With a gorgeous soundtrack of a piano playing you are given a virtual garden comprising of a 3x3 grid of 9 virtual mud patches. You are then tasked with planting seeds in these patches and, by nurturing them with plant food and water whilst fighting off pesky bugs, create the garden of your dreams.
First up there are LOADS of choices on flowers to grow. Any flower you can possibly think of is represented in this game (although I could be wrong as I am not a florist by any stretch of the imagination) and you have the opportunity to plant and grow them. Once grown you are then able pick the flowers and have the App make bouquets of flowers for you, or if you are feeling really creative make them yourself!
This is where the App also embraces the world we currently live in as once you have grown your flowers and made your bouquets you can then gift them via Facebook and Twitter to your friends in the social media world. So if you have any likeminded friends you could potentially have hours of fun competing with each other in unlocking the more rare flowers, growing them and creating beautiful virtual bouquets from them.

The controls do take a little getting used to as the garden is represented in 3D allowing the user to swoop down low or spin the view but I felt that the finger gestures used to manipulate the camera viewing the garden were not overly intuitive. Once you get used to them though it soon become second nature to move the camera around. Similarly I did not find some of the options that obvious to find in the layout. For example, in order to buy more seeds I needed to tap on the Home icon, then a patch of my garden and then the Seeds option. I just expected to see a Shop or Purchase Seeds option from the main page if I am honest. Once again though this is not a game breaker as once you know where to go it is very easy to navigate there, it just takes some getting used to.
So once you have chosen the flowers for the 3x3 grid, grown them, cultivated them and made bouquets from them what happens? Well, not a lot in all honesty. As I have mentioned if you have friends who wish to compete against you then there is obviously added life to the app there. Without this though I found the desire to return to the App began to wane once my garden was full. I could find no way of expanding my garden so was left with the standard 3x3 grid (if I am wrong on this I would be grateful if the developers could contact me and I will amend accordingly). As a result I needed to remove flowers from the grid if I wanted to grow different ones which wasn't ideal as I had become attached to my garden and didn't want to smash some of it down! I also felt that I had reached a plateau on the flowers I could unlock. Not all of the seeds are available at the start you see and more become unlocked as your garden progresses. Once you fill up your garden though the flower unlocks appeared to slow down extensively and I found myself not caring or wanting to bother attempting to unlock the next set of seeds. I had the option to pay to unlock these if I wanted but because I didn't know whether I was close to unlocking them for free via in game achievements I was reluctant to part with cash for them.
Overall I found the game a relaxing game which held my attention without the need for guns, girls or kidnapped princesses. The graphics and soundtrack are a credit to the developers and it's integration with social media platforms mean that for many people it could have an extensive lifespan. For others, particularly those who don't know a rose from a daisy, it may level out quite quickly and the desire to unlock further seeds may slip away quite quickly.

3.5/5

Scary Story Kit App Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:03:00 +0000

Scary Story Kit
Version 1.02
Wenpo Sun

Put simply the Scary Story Kit is a soundboard app with a twist. Instead of being intended for simply playing random sounds to annoy or amuse your friends it is intended to be used to enhance those occasions when you are sat with your friends in a dark room telling scary stories by utilising the iOS devices sound and visual capabilities.
There are three main functions to it. Firstly there is the "Story Time" option which brings up an atmospheric graphic of a cauldron. The user is able to change the colour of the swirling mass inside the cauldron to suit the mood of the story and tapping the cauldron itself will zoom into the mass and allow the user to select one of three atmospheric sound such as a creaky door, a scream etc to enhance their story.
The other option is the "Soundboard" mode which is an extension of the Story Time mode minus the graphical flair and atmosphere of the cauldron. It is simply a soundboard with all of the available sounds on for the user to select at will.
Finally, the last option is "Darkroom" mode. Here the user is presented with a blank white canvas where they are able to draw with their finger on the screen and create illustrations very similar to Microsoft Paint or other such programs. Changing brush size and colours are really the only options available but it is handy nonetheless and can really add impact to stories if you require it.

Overall the App is impressive and achieves what it sets out to do. The sounds are of a high quality and the layout and graphics are very nice indeed. Being in the niche market that it places itself in it is very hard for me to recommend this as a "must have App for all iOS device users" but if you are looking for something cheap to help you out while telling some scary stories this App certainly won't disappoint.

3.5/5

Ouija Table App Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:41:00 +0000

Ouija Table
Version 1.2
Roberto Lombardo

"Ouija Table is not a game" it proudly claims on the AppStore before explaining how it utilises the various sensors in an iOS device to detect any atmospheric anomalies and translate them into real world messages from the spirits that may be trying to communicate with you. The real question though is does it work? Sadly to answer that requires me to be able to firstly answer whether ghosts actually exist conclusively before I can say whether the app works. Since nobody in this world appears to be able to say 100% with conclusive proof that spirits and ghosts exist then it's going to be a struggle proving if the app works!
If we tackle the issue in a purely "does the App work" in a "does it function and not crash" angle then the answer is a resounding yes. The display is crisp and nicely laid out, graphics-wise its also a success with a lovely detailed board that matches the atmosphere nicely. Did it crash? Once yes when trying to access the main board but a reboot of the app sorted it and this could easily have been my iOS device's fault.
When the board is open the counter moves around convincingly, whether this is because it is actually responding to real world spirit activity or simply on a random movement code I wouldn't like to say in all honesty but when testing it my wife was convinced.
Functionality is limited however, with the only thing on offer being the Ouija board itself. Then again, what else would you expect?
Ouija Table is definitely an App only for the believers out there as it requires a leap of faith in order to put any belief in what happens. If you're not able to do this then there is simply no point in downloading it since you will simply dismiss any findings as being fixed in the code. If however, you are a regular little Mystic Meg ghost hunter then this app may be just up your avenue.

3/5

Girlfriend Helper iPhone App Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:51:00 +0000

Girlfriend Helper
Version 1.01
Christopher R Hannah

Communication. That's what is key in any relationship and despite all of the recent improvements in communications over the recent times it has become no easier. At least not where the lady folk are concerned. ;-) Saying the right thing or remembering the right occasions is still as tricky as ever for any would be boyfriend.
This is where the Girlfriend Helper tries to help out. Stuck for the right thing to say? Need something romantic to say but too busy playing video games to think of anything? Don't worry the Girlfriend Helper has the answer. Simply load it up and choose the category of text message you intend on sending. Options include "Morning", "Anniversary" to "I love you". The App will then check its database of things to say and randomly generate you a text message to send. For example, my test to send a message to apologise to my wife (I won't go into specifics ;-) ) when pressing the "I'm sorry" category generated a message suggestion of "If I could avoid what happened, I would, but since I can't I'll apologise." Not the best apology in the world obviously but better than just a text saying "sorry." The app even helps my laziness of not wanting to type out that text into a text message too and allows me to copy it to the iPhone's clipboard for easy pasting into that all important text!
Additional to the main feature the Girlfriend Helper also has some other tricks up its sleeve. Firstly there is the "Tips" section which will randomly generate a hint of how to ensure your girlfriend feels wanted. Helpful for any inconsiderate boyfriend, whether he will actually remember it or put it into practice mind is anyones guess. The other trick tucked away is the Dates section which allows you to enter a list of all the important dates you should be remembering to stay on the right side of your lady. You could easily argue that the Calendar already on the iPhone does a better job of this already since you have to manually enter each date but its nice to have the option and be able to hold all things girlfriend related in one app.
The Girlfriend Helper is never going to revolutionise the world of iPhone but for anyone who has a girlfriend who demands special attention frequently or even someone who wants to attempt to impress a lady with a small show of romance this app could prove invaluable.

4/5

News! - MegaCubic Website launch

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:49:00 +0000

MegaCubic Entertainment, a mobile game development company owned by Kdan Mobile Software, has announced a "Luck n' Roll" sweepstakes in celebration of the launch of its official website. The website is designed to serve the recreation needs of its visitors through pleasant interaction. The sweepstakes is open to people with age of 13 and above, and will run from November 15th, 2011 to December 15th, 2011. All participants will get the chance to meet characters from the games the company is working on. Lucky winners will each receive a specially designed MegaCubic keychain.

"Considerable thought has gone into the presentation and contents of the website" said Kenny Su, CEO and founder of MegaCubic. "Our main goal is to create an interactive platform that welcomes people of all ages to come for relaxation and entertainment. We would like to share this exciting moment with everyone by inviting them to participate in our sweepstakes."

MegaCubic also revealed its plan to release its first game, Foodie the Bug, on Apple AppStore in early December. The company boasts that Foodie the Bug is a visually pleasing flying game that allows players to fly, collect food ingredients, and create exotic dishes at the same time. "Similar to the core concept behind our websites, our games will bring people joy through the designs and lovable figures." said Chris Su, Product Design Director of MegaCubic. Other game projects that are currently under development will hit the market in the near future. "We have built a strong pipeline of games and we are ready to bring a wave of pleasant surprises to users", added Su.

Personally we will always reserve judgement on a product or app until we get our hands on it but from the boasts being made by Kdan Mobile Software and MegaCubic it certainly seems that it could be an exciting time for them. We look forward to seeing what they can offer!

Koss iSpark iPhone Headphones with Mic Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:05:00 +0000

Koss iSpark iPhone Headphones with Mic

Once again Mobilefun.co.uk have excelled themselves and sent me more products to review! This time around its the Koss iSpark iPhone 4S headphones up for the ClickTickBoom treatment.
Having heard good things about other Koss products I was excited to see these headphones in action and the fact that they boast a mic for added compatibility with smart phones appealed to me greatly as it is something a lot of the headphones I have tried in the past have lacked.
However, when they arrived I couldn't help but be slightly scared as, compared to the standard Apple headphones, they are enormous! The buds of the headphones are made out of memory foam which is the reason for the large size since you are meant to compress the foam before you place them in your ears so that when it expands it fits your ear perfectly and blocks out external sounds to maximum effect. So, whilst scarily large, there is a reason for it.
Now that we know the science behind the headphones the real question is do they work? The answer to which is a resounding yes, but not without some flaws. The bass from these headphones is breathtaking and it is not hard to get lost in your music/podcast with these as the memory foam really does block out external sounds surprisingly well, much to my wife's annoyance ;-)
There are problems though. Whilst the inclusion of the mic enable the headphones to be used for calls on your smartphone they are not as fully functional as I would have liked as the omission of a volume button is a shame in my opinion. Additionally, whilst the memory foam enables the impressive feature of blocking out external sounds it also has a side effect. The memory foam expands to fit the ear canal when you place them in your ears. However, for people with smaller ears like myself the foam may want to expand further than your ear canal will allow. What this then means is that the foam continues to expand and, with nowhere to go, the foam forces its way out of the canal and the headphone falls out of your ear. This may not be a problem for someone with larger ears but should certainly be a consideration for anyone with small ears.
Overall the Koss iSpark iPhone 4S headphones give impressive performance at a very good price. The memory foam make them a very comfortable wear, provided you can get them to stay in reliably!

4/5

Fairy Colors of Flowers iPhone App Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:19:00 +0000

Fairy Colors of Flowers

Version 1.0

Internet Reshenia LLC

Fairy Colors of Flowers is a very strange app to review simply because it is the most inoffensive app you could ever hope to experience! The premise is simple, it offers high quality images of gorgeously colourful flowers for users to use as background images for their iPhone or iPod. It's that simple and in this instance simple is most effective.

The interface is easy and natural to use since you simply swipe left and right to scroll through the available images. The images themselves are of exceptional quality and varied. Currently there are just under 50 images available to choose from but hopefully, and I say this with no knowledge of whether it will or not, this number will increase as time goes on.

Fairy Colors of Flowers is a free app that offers high quality images for your phone's background. It delivers on this brilliantly and with the exception of some more images to choose from cannot be criticised.

4/5

Smart Words App Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Smart Words
Version 1.0
Impressive Technology Inc

I am starting to think that I must either a really negative person or that, contrary to popular belief, there are too many poor Apps in the AppStore. The age old idea of seeing a working idea and copying it is rife on the AppStore and no more so than in the latest app given to us for review Smart Words. Anyone who has ever played Scrabble will instantly be at home as it is exactly the same. The player is pitted against another person in the world either via their address book, social networking sites or a random person and given a number of random lettered tiles. Each tile is allocated a different points amount and the player is challenged to create words on the board using the tiles at their disposal. It's Scrabble. That isn't where my complaint about copying applies though. My complaint is that putting the game of Scrabble on a smart phone to play on the move has already been done by the app Words With Friends and after analysis I am unable to find any reasons to download Smart Words if you already have Words With Friends, it simply does not appear to offer anything more simply repackaged the app with a different look.
Functionality wise the App works. I found the selection of tiles on the board using your finger to be a little fiddly and unresponsive at times but other than that it replicates the game of scrabble perfectly and the graphics are crisp and easy on the eye. I just can't help but feel that the developers have taken a look at Words With Friends, taken the idea and instead or building on the idea just simply recreated it.

3.5/5

Pocket Boom Portable Vibration Speaker Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:36:00 +0000

Pocket Boom Portable Vibration Speaker

Another product we recently received for review from the lovely people over at Mobilefun.co.uk is the mobile phone speaker "Pocket Boom Portable Vibration Speaker system. And following the pattern of not expecting much but being pleasantly surprised this went the same direction.
Opening the packaging I read the description boasting it will "turn anything from a cup to a window into a speaker" I couldn't help being sceptical and think it was a gimmicky item that will never work. Once again though, I was wrong.

The item itself is small and compact coming in at about 3 or 4 inches in length and shaped like a large tic-tac. The one end houses a 3.5mm jack to plug into the headphone socket of your phone/mp3 player and the other end is detachable to reveal a small sticky pad (2 replacement pads are provided) which sticks to whatever you wish to turn into a speaker and has a small cable connecting it back to the main body of the item. During my testing I found that there were dozens of different things that can be used as speaker which surprised me no end. Some examples were windows, glasses, a table and a box! All of which gave very good sound quality.
As a result the Pocket Boom Portable Vibration Speaker system proved to me that it is not a gimmicky item incapable of doing what it claims but actually a quality item which surpasses expectations and provides a very real alternative to regular speakers. For somebody who wants to take a speaker system with them on their travels this is a perfect option, small and compact enough to throw in a pocket or bag but packs enough punch to play at excellent volumes. Highly recommended

5/5

Vote Now 2012 iPhone App Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:53:00 +0000

Vote Now 2012
Version 1.1
Steep Turn Software

Vote Now 2012 is an interesting concept which personally I have not seen done via a Smart phone app before. It is essentially an opinion poll for the upcoming US election.

Allowing users to select who (all of the candidates are listed) they will be voting for in the election next year and declare what state their vote will be placed in. The app then collates this information along with other users votes and gives a graphical representation of how the US will decide its next president come 2012.

However, the app has a few flaws which it fails to effectively address. Firstly it allows for multiple votes. As an app this is needed as if it only allows a user to vote once then the app suddenly becomes disposable as the user won't want to revisit it at any point. However, by allowing multiple votes from the same person flies in the face of the notion of democracy and results in serious distortion of the statistics it is collating since you do not know if the 100 votes cast are from 100 people or 3. Admittedly you are not able to vote multiple times in one session (there needs to be a 12 hour gap between votes) the point still stands.

The other flaw this app has is that it has assumed all of its users will be based in America. Therefore, as a user outside of the US I was unable to select which state I would be voting for and had to randomly choose a state. You could argue as a non-America what interest did I have casting a vote but the fact I am able to do so means that the resulting statistics cannot be relied upon.

The big problem with the app though comes with the lack of activity. Having reviewed over the course of a week or so I saw minimal fluctuation in the total votes cast. This will of course change as the election draws nearer so maybe at that time it will become a more compulsive app. Sadly, until that time, Vote Now 2012 will remain a well created app with some serious flaws.

2/5

Clingo Universal Game Wheel Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:30:00 +0000

Clingo Universal Game Wheel

We have recently been sent a number of mobile phone accessories to review by the lovely people over at Mobilefun.co.uk. The first of which is the Clingo Universal Game Wheel. The wheel is intended for use with any smart phone or device such as iPod touch to play driving games on.

If you have ever seen anyone playing, or played yourself, Mario Kart on the Nintendo Wii with the plastic steering wheel controllers you will be familiar with the concept. You secure the controller, in this case your smart phone, to the centre of the surprisingly comfortable and sturdy wheel and use the wheel itself as an extension to the controller.

Using the wheel works surprisingly well. I have alway avoided driving games on the small screens of phones as I find holding the phone securely whilst twisting and turning it difficult. Holding the Clingo wheel alleviates this and offers a much more satisfactory driving experience, much the same as using the Nintendo wheel in Mario Kart is more comfortable than using the Wii-mote alone.

The fact that the Clingo Universal Game Wheel is universal is also handy as it has meant that I have been able to use it with both my iPhone and iPod and even my wife's HTC without any fear of it not fitting. How does it do this? By using it clever little Clingo surface. You will see from the picture that the unit sports a rather fetching bright green patch in the centre. This little area is what is responsible for holding the phone securely and has been used previously in Clingo's other devices such as dashboard car mounts and the such like. It is essentially an adhesive pad that negates the need for any clamping of the phone in order to keep it in place. Normally adhesive will leave a sticky residue behind after you remove it but amazingly the Clingo pad does not and still holds securely despite me sticking and removing the phone numerous times on test. It really is quite impressive!

Overall the Clingo Universal Game Wheel is a simple yet effective piece of kit for an avid mobile gamer wanting to play driving games to full effect. Whilst it may not be the most portable of accessories it certainly improves the experience of playing these games.

4/5

Halloween FX App Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 11:10:00 +0000

Halloween FX
Version 1.01
Christopher R Hannah

I think it is right that I am honest before I tell you about Halloween FX. I hate Halloween. Not because I am a big baby and get scared, simply because I think its rubbish. That said I need to review Halloween FX.
Simply put it is a sound effect app designed to help scare your friends and family on Halloween by allowing you to set a timer, hide your phone and then have it play one of a multitude of sound effects to frighten them. All very simple and effective....or is it?
Sadly for me it wasn't. I set the timer as it states in the instructions to five seconds and waited 5 seconds for it to play a scary sound. After the 5 seconds had passed nothing happened so I tried again and still nothing happened. Setting the timer to a different number made no difference either. I was able to tap the pumpkin and have it play a sound but I just couldn't get the timer to work. Thinking it may have crashed I forced a closure on the app in the multi-tasking menu and tried again only to have the same thing happen. Was there something wrong with my phone then? A reboot proved no as it was still the same.
In theory this app should be a lot of fun if you are so inclined during Halloween but I get the impression it has been rush released and not tested enough. Proof of this comes when flicking to the Info page and being able to edit the text held on it, not what a user should be able to do. It's sad but this app is just not what it should be, hopefully with an update these problems can be overcome and my thoughts on Halloween improved a little.

1/5

Tiny Me App Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 10:46:00 +0000

Tiny Me
Version 1.01
Christopher R Hannah

Ahhh where would we be without Twitter? Well, probably the same place we were a few years back when it didn't exist in all honesty but the reality is that it is here to stay and so is its 140 character word limit. Which is exactly where a lot of people's problem with Twitter lies since many people use the service to tell all of their followers about videos and news that they read on other sites and the easiest way to do this is to tweet a link to direct their followers there easily. The problem comes about when the link itself is too long to fit inside a tweet. Which is exactly where Tiny Me comes along to save the day.
Packaged as a handy App for use on your iPod, iPhone or iPad you can simply paste a URL into it and it will work some magic and shorten the URL down to one approximately 10-15 characters in length. It will even copy the URL to your phones clipboard so that you can easily paste it into a tweet when you next open your Twitter App.
All of this may sound very basic and not in the slightest bit complex but to a Twitter addict like myself having something like this available to me as an App on my phone is massively handy and a big help. When the AppStore is swamped by fart button variations it is apps like Tiny Me really do make the AppStore a brighter place as it genuinely has a use and a place on the store. If you use Twitter or anything else which has a character limit and want to send/display URLs you really should be downloading Tiny Me.

4.5/5

Bottle Tunes iPhone/iPod App review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:49:00 +0000

Bottle Tunes
Version 1.0.2
Paw Apps

Bottle Tunes is one of those Apps that fill so many people with dread. It is an App so addictive that it could suck your life away without trying. Remember when you were younger you would blow the top of a bottle to make a musical note? Remember when you had multiple bottles you would fill each one with a different amount of water and make numerous notes and try and play a tune? Bottle Tunes is that game only now it has you trying to play well known tunes. Unless of course you're the creative type and just want to create your own masterpiece, and then Bottle Tunes can help you there too!

I found Bottle Tunes a little tricky to get into if I am honest. Upon first play my complete inability to comprehend musical notes came to the fore and meant that I was unable to translate what I was hearing to what I was doing on screen. I persevered though and found that I was able to get my head around what was going on and start stringing some good results together until the point where I became Angry Birds style addicted and was suffering from "just one more go" fever.

Graphically the game is very good. It's not Pixar animation of course but generally a good standard and on a par with most flash games you will find on the internet. Sound wise it is once again acceptable and good quality which is handy since you will spend a lot of time listening to this game in order to check if your notes match the required tune. Which is actually where the game's flaw lies for me - it requires sound. I play my iPhone games generally in public places and not always with headphones attached (or if there are headphones attached they are listening to music). The requirement of this app to use sound means that you will either get annoyed glances from fellow commuters who don't like your Bottle Tune sound effects or you will need to forego your daily dose of Black Eyed Peas to allow this app to supply your ears with bottle sounds.

Overall the game is fun and addictive and definitely worth a play. Careful though, if you allow it then it can definitely bleed you of your spare time whilst also getting you in trouble on the train!

4/5

Contributors wanted!

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:41:00 +0000

Want some free iPhone apps? Able to write good, unbiased reviews? Reliable? We want to hear from you! We are looking to increase our catalogue of iPhone app reviews and turn ClickTickBoom into THE place to go for App reviews. To do that we need your help. If you think you can write reviews, offer some much needed design assistance or even put us in touch with some companies who may want to help! Please, please, please contact Steve by emailing steve@clicktickboom.com

The Moron Quiz iPhone App Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:35:00 +0000

The Moron Quiz
Version 3.1
Shayes Apps

The Moron Quiz is another app of an increasingly popular breed on the AppStore - a quiz. Simply put the user is a presented with a list of multiple choice questions where the answers are obvious but the wording is designed to misdirect the mind so that they get them wrong. Beat the quiz and you're not a moron. Well, that's the intention anyway. I am sure there is no legal or official standpoint on that ;-)
The App works and feels very nice with the buttons clearly laid out and and clear on the screen. The problem comes when you eventually (and you will) get a question wrong. You are forced to replay from a checkpoint and repeat all of the questions from that point which you now know the answers to. The Moron Quiz then ultimately becomes a game of eliminating the wrong answers through trial and error so that you can progress. Since the questions are placed in the same order each time you play through it is very simple to get to know the layout and answers and tap through accordingly.
Played in the pub with a few drunken friends to point at at laugh at when they get it wrong The Moron Quiz is probably a dose of harmless fun. Played on your own though it becomes tedious quite quickly and the fun slips away.

3/5

SoundBook iPhone/iPad App Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:19:00 +0000

SoundBook
Version 1.5
Luz HQ Ltd

There is no getting around the subject here, SoundBook is a sound board app that many people have grown to love and hate in equal measure. These things have been the subject of many an amusing moment in the pub, made certain individuals overnight millionaires (maybe) whilst also becoming a constant irritant and cluttering up the AppStore and offering nothing new. As a developer I am guilty of releasing soundboards so I cannot criticise and this is not a criticism, merely a statement of fact surrounding the issue of soundboard apps.

Despite being a polarising genre of app though SoundBook works well. There is a wide selection of sounds to choose from covering multiple areas of life. You won't find any familiar sounds from TV or film here (probably due to licensing) but what you will find is everyday sounds to play whenever you like....or maybe not.

The major flaw with SoundBook is its process of selection for the sounds. If I want to play the sound of a dog, for example, I need to go to the Animals tab. Here it defaults to the last animal played, lets say a horse, and instantly plays the sound of a horse. If I am trying to play the sound of a dog without anyone else in the room knowing I have already blown my cover but let's press on and play the dog sound. To go to a different sound (ie not the horse) I need to tap the smaller image in the bottom right of the screen to move onto the next sound. Each tap moves the sounds on a step to cycle through and each time plays the sound of the next item. Therefore, to get to the dog sound I may need to go through the options for duck, cow and sheep before finally making it to the dog. By which time the entire room will think I have smuggled Old MacDonald's farm in with me! A process to jump straight to the required sound without playing all of the ones on the way would help this app greatly.

The sounds themselves are of a high quality, as are the impressive images. The problem this App has though is that it does nothing differently to other soundboard apps in terms of functionality and actually hinders the user by forcing them to only cycle through and playing each sound along the way.

2/5

Color Tower iPhone App Review

noreply@blogger.com (Bezza) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:35:00 +0000

Color Tower
Version 1.2
Tanu Kush

Before I start I will say one thing about Color Tower, I like it. Not everyone will I admit but I do. The concept is simple but the reality is a compulsive, addictive and at times very frustrating game. Sadly its frustrating for the wrong reasons.
The idea is simply to recreate the picture shown in the bottom left of the screen depicting a number of different coloured tiles stacked in certain ways on a board. Your board is not nearly so tidy and it is your job to recreate the picture moving one tile at a time. It really is that simple. So simple in fact that it becomes very compulsive playing, the urge to "just do one more board" is very high indeed. That's not to say it doesn't have its flaws however.
The control system needs a lot of work currently. Due to the 3D nature of the board and the angular camera angle similar to ones used in a lot of 90s video games the far end of the board is not as easily accessible as the front, particularly when the front of the board is stacked high with tiles obscuring the view of the far end. At these times moving a tile to one of the areas obscured becomes nigh on impossible and it is then a test of patience to needlessly move other tiles just to be able to see the area you want to move the original tile too. Taken the right way this can soon become part of the challenge of the game but I think for most people it will become a barrier to entry quite quickly. Adding the ability to rotate the board or switch camera angles could easily overcome this issue and make the game far less infuriating.
Overall it is a lot of fun and very satisfying, if the control issue could be sorted out this would be a definite recommendation from ClickTickBoom and it still is in many ways. We just can't help but feel that it has fallen a little short of its potential.

6.5/10