Everyone needs encouragement.  We all could use a word of advice or guidance when we’re facing a trial and aren’t sure who or what to turn to in our time of need.  Now there’s an answer: WorldLink’s iTalk to God.  It’s an app that you can use as an aid to facilitate conversations between you and God and it’s very easy to use.

Depending on how you feel, select the corresponding emotion on iTalk to God’s menu.  Its menu contains over 70 different emotions, so it’s almost impossible to have a feeling that you won’t find in iTalk.  Angry?  It’s in there.  Doubtful?  It’s in there.  Tempted? It’s-

I’m sure you get my point:  there are a lot of emotions covered by the Bible and iTalk to God.

The goal of the app is to remind the viewer that, regardless of what we feel, God is always there and always capable of helping us to make it through whatever circumstance we’re dealing with.  Based on the emotion you select, iTalk to God will supply you with a relevant verse of Biblical scripture that will address your emotion.  It will also provide a brief encouragement regarding your emotion and a commentary on the scripture.  There is also the ability to email verses to friends if you think they could benefit from a scripture as well.

There are multiple translations of iTalk to God, too, everything from the tried and true King James to the Korean Bible.

I do have a few ideas for this app.  For example, I think giving it a diary- or journal-like capability would be interesting.  The user could provide a brief description of the cause of their feeling, the verse they found helpful, and even tag people or circumstances if they wished.  With such a feature, iTalk could record emotions and scriptures of encouragement over the course of a week, month, or even year, and pull them up whenever they wanted.  A Verse of the Day feature would be nice, too, and adding the ability to share scripture on Facebook or Twitter would be features I’m sure would probably be welcomed as well.

I liked iTalk and even if nothing more was done with it, it would be a good reference to have at your fingertips in a time of need, one that would strengthen your faith and relationship with God.

iTunes Link- iTalk to God

Version 2.1

Tested on iPod Touch 3.1.3

Athletes, rappers, actors, and teenagers can frequently sound like they’re speaking a whole different language.  Some of them are and that’s because they’re from a different planet.  Most of them, however, are just throwing a slang term or two.  

Here’s something else: over the past few days, I’ve noticed that nearly everyone is urbaning their name and posting what pops up as a status update on Facebook.  Some of them are really quite embarassing and others are kind of cool.  Wondering what ‘urbaning’ means?  Or maybe you’re wondering what would appear if you were to look up your name as well? 

At times like those, it’s good to have Schroederdev LLC’s Slango- Urban Dictionary at your fingertips.  It is one of the most extensive slang dictionaries out there.  In fact, at over 4,000,000 words, there isn’t much that isn’t included in this app.  It’s bigger than some of the actual dictionaries I’ve bought in the AppStore. 

Slango uses the online database from “Urban Dictionary” and has some great features.  The Word of the Day will give you the skinny on all the latest terms. Random word search will help you pass the time for minutes that stretch into hours, and Slango’s offline bookmark support will ensure that you can easily find your favorite words from yesterday or a month ago.  And you can share words through Facebook, Twitter, or email.

Slango is very easy to use.  The only drawback to the app is that it doesn’t support browsing, so you can’t read through terms alphabetically.   Fortunately, a future update is in the works that will include this feature.  I’m sureit will be a welcome addition, one that will enable me to waste even more time.

So if you’re looking for a slang dictionary that is fun, informative, and- at times- a little (no, make that a lot) raunchy, Slango- Urban Dictionary is exactly what you want.  It is guaranteed to keep you and your friends entertained and laughing for days.  Or at least in the know.

iTunes Link- Slango-Urban Dictionary

Version 1.1

Tested on iPod Touch 3.1.3

I am an avid reader, always have been.  What I read has changed dramatically, however.  These days, I read mostly work stuff.  Email, journal articles, memos, forms, handbooks- you name it, I read it.  But I’m not the fastest reader in the world, especially when I’m not reading for pleasure.  And because I’ve always wanted to learn how to read faster, I was excited to take a look at James Massey’s Speedylicious Pro.  Speedylicious Pro is an app that works by flashing text- one word at a time- on the screen in rapid bursts that can be set by the reader.  It’s known as Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) and it is said that by reading this way over a period of time, a person can significantly increase their reading speed and rate of comprehension.

Most of the speedreading applications available today only allow you to read items from a preset library database.  They have bookshelves full of stuff like Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’ or Mark Twain’s ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’.  There’s nothing wrong with that and they’re great works, but if you’re like me, you’re probably far too busy trying to get through the all the other stuff you’re required to read to have time to read about how to defeat an enemy or fill your head with the exploits of some bratty kid.   

Speedylicious Pro can sync with Readitlaterlist and Del.icio.us, so any article bookmarked with either of those services can be automatically imported into Speedylicious Pro the next time the app is opened.  This means you can read online content at any time, offline.  That feature alone makes it worth the $2.99 sale price, since there aren’t all that many apps that are able to do that.  

I did have my problems using Speedylicious Pro.  Articles I deleted using the ReadItLater Free app still appeared on my Speedylicious list after syncing, and syncing between ReadItLater and Speedylicious proved to be a continual source of frustration.  Articles I bookmarked to send to my ReadItLater list via MobileRSS, TwitBird Pro, and Mobile Safari, were hit or miss; sometimes the text would import just fine and sometimes it wouldn’t.  This was the case even when I could see that the article had been successfully brought into ReadItLater and could be viewed through the ReadItLater Free app.

On the plus side, Speedylicious Pro allows the reader to edit imported articles.  This is a good feature to have, since so many web articles are filled with text that isn’t relevant to the article itself.  It isn’t the developer’s fault, but it does get more than a little annoying to have to constantly edit the beginning and end of articles.  The only workaround is to bookmark the article via the ‘print this article’ option most newspaper and magazine articles offer, as the page that’s generated there lacks the junk text.

Speedylicious Pro is a solid addition to the speedreading app offering.  A couple of enhancements come to mind forme, though.  Adding Instapaper as one of the article sync sources would be great, as would the ability to clear the reading list.

If you’re interesting in learning how to read faster, Speedylicious Pro is certainly worth your consideration.

iTunes Link- Speedylicious Pro

Version 1.0.0

Tested on iPod Touch 3.1.3

Blue 62! Blue 62! HIKE!!!! If you have ever wanted to be a coach for a football team, this game is for you. Gridiron Football by Hardenbrook Productions is a fun strategy game with out the bells and whistles. It gets down to the basics of a good game without having to glitter it up with fancy graphics.

In Gridiron Football, you are a coach who is trying to win the game. You can play against the computer or against your buddy. After the coin flip, you get to choose which kick you are doing (normal, squib, or onside). After the kick, you get to choose each play and get to move your players around. The game may not have interesting graphics paired with a good concept, but if you are a die hard football fan looking for something to do during the Super Bowl commercials (that is if you don’t like watching the commercials), then this is one dollar well spent.

The setup of the game is simple and makes it a great pick-me-up kind of game. You can even choose how long each quarter is from five, ten, or fifteen minutes. This is a great feature if you want to play a short game. I found this a really fun game and loved the feeling of being a football coach.

The game also features a mini game called The Drive where you have two minutes on the clock. You are trying to score a touchdown in order to win the mini game. I really liked the addition of the mini game as it added to the greatness of the game; plus, it makes it a great app to play when you have a few spare minutes. Overall, this is a fun game and definitely worth a buck, so click the link below and check out Gridiron Football.

iTunes Link – Gridiron Football
Version 1.4
Reviewed on iPhone 3GS OS 3.1.2

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAL

Football fans you have come to the right place. With the 2010 Fifa world cup headed this way your going to need something to stay informed and Colorme(beijing) Info Tech has got it covered. As a soccer fan living in the states it’s hard getting coverage of the sport on T.V. without buying special packages from the cable company. With the World Cup Fixture app I still wont be able to watch the matches but now I can stay informed on the big tournament.

The World Cup might be four months away but in the meantime the app keeps you up to date with news surrounding players, teams and anything else related to the Cup. There are two ways to follow the games, one is the calendar tab showing the date and time of each match, the other is the group tab which has each match listed in its appropriate group A through H. Both tabs have a results column that will show the final score of each game. Finally there is a knockout tree that will show the games leading up to the final match.

At $.99 this app so far has got my approval, its not too flashy, it’s easy to navigate and all the info has an easy to read layout. I say “so far” because we have to trust they get the info out to the app in a timely fashion and if the frequency of news articles that come out is any indication we have nothing to worry about. Also the iTunes page claims “other features coming soon…” so as long as that is up to par with the rest of the app we are good to go. The only thing I will warn you all about is the #4 Feature they have listed as Wonderful pictures, this isn’t a tab they have loaded with pictures it’s just part of the news feature if the article has a picture that goes along with it. As of today no articles have any pictures, not a deal breaker but a tad bit annoying.

iTunes Link – World Cup Fixture

Version 1.0

Reviewed on iPhone 3G OS 3.1.3

It’s a shock to see a flashcard app that’s actually useful.

Flipside – Digital Studying made a fantastic first impression. The app’s interface is slick. The controls and options are easy to find and use. It’s a breeze finding your way around. After locating the multitude different buttons and features, the process is intuitive and efficient. JBB Productions made a fantastic app that is easy on the eyes and easy to use.

Creating and sorting your stacks is simple. Cards can be edited and manipulated easily from individual menus.

Studying the cards is just easy. Just tap to flip the card over. Slide your finger to view other cards. The process is worry-free. Individual cards can be marked for further study.

For a student, this app is perfect for getting a few minutes of studying when you’re on the subway, waiting in line, or just standing around with a few extra minutes.

A web interface is one thing this app is missing. Despite how easy it is to make your own flashcards, it’s still tedious typing it out with your thumbs on a miniscule keyboard. When it comes to the dozens of cards students sometimes have to deal with, it’s nearly impossible. However, the devs are assuring buyers that a web applet is coming soon – something I’m eagerly waiting for.

Right now, Flipside has the most potential out of all the apps sitting on my iTouch. It’s seamless, efficient and worry-free – everything I look for in a study app. With a few additions and renovations, Flipside can easy become an invaluable app for any student.

Version 1.0

Reviewed on iPod Touch 3.1.2

iTunes Link – Flipside – Digital Studying

Living in Texas, knowing how to play Texas Hold’em is almost required as lots of people like to play it. Lone Star Hold’em by Adduce Studios is a great way to hone your skills on the go and without needing others to play with you.

When I first launched the app, I was met with nice graphics. The art was great and was a nice touch to a great game. The navigation throughout the game was easy and was not confusing to find your way through the app. For those of you who don’t know what Texas Hold’em is, it is a type of two-card poker. At the beginning of the app, you get to choose your opponents for the round who range in difficulty. When you choose the opponent, their stat card appears with their description, games played and games won. There is also a play now button to choose them. After choosing three other opponents, you get $50,000 to start off. The game deals you your cards and you can check, fold, or raise the bet. I found the system of using a scroll wheel type thing to raise the bet inaccurate to use. I would have rather had a keypad input to raise the bet rather than scrolling and taking forever to get exactly to what I wanted to bet.

The game lengths were sufficient if you want to play a long game but isn’t going to finish in five or so minutes. Luckily, there is an automatic save feature so that you can resume your game when your launch the app. Overall, this game is a great game for beginners to pros. It is a great pick me up game and can be very entertaining. The graphics are great, and although I don’t like the way you bet, it is still a cool app. Check out Lone Star Hold’em in the App Store today.

iTunes Link – Lone Star Hold’em

Version 1.0

Reviewed on iPhone 3GS OS 3.1.2

RAWR!!! At first I thought they were extinct and these were just cardboard cut outs. Really big cardboard cut outs. But then the one that looked like Godzilla moved. I gulped. This was no cardboard cut out. This was the real Godzilla!!!! I tried to run away, but he swallowed me. I thought I would fall into a giant belly of acid and be dissolved, but instead I fell into a control panel. Hmm, strange I thought, “It is almost as if Godzilla is a robot!” I played around with the joystick and figured out how to move and attack. Then, I realized the other monster was still outside. Within five minutes, I defeated the other monster. I was suddenly transported out of Godzilla’s belly, and in a blink of the eye, he was gone.

Okay, I didn’t really get to control Godzilla like that, but in the Indiagames app, you do get to control Godzilla and other characters. The controls are simple, swipe forward to attack, hold behind your character to block, and do some other finger swiping to do special moves. If you build up a combo, you can do a super move that will inflict tons of damage on your opponent.

What I liked most about this game was the arcade style graphics. It reminded me much of when I used to play fighting games like this on the original Playstation with my cousins. It has simple controls and no blood or gore, so it’s safe to let your kid play.

It also features an interactive tutorial, which is a plus since the instructions isn’t all reading. The best part about this app is that it is only $1.99. With great graphics and a fun game that won’t become boring, this is a steal, so check out Godzilla- Monster Mayhem today!

iTunes Link – Godzilla

Reviewed on iPhone 3GS OS 3.1.2

Version 1.0

Have you ever continued to do something you knew was probably not good for you?  I have.  Recently, in fact.

Mortal Skies is a perfect example.  I love this game- even though my hand gets so tired it starts to cramp up after a mission or two.  But I keep playing.  So the obvious questions are what is Mortal Skies and what makes it so good? 

The year is 1944 and it’s World War II. You’re a flyboy (or girl).  Your orders are to stop a hostile invasion force from taking over the world.  You up to the task?

Mortal Skies, from Erwin Jansen, is a shoot ‘em up that reminds me of the arcade game 1942 from Capcom that I used to play way back in the day.  Video game graphics have come a long way since 1984, though, and this one looks great. 

Mortal Skies consists of 7 levels, or missions, in which the player engages enemy planes, bombers, tanks, and choppers.   By shooting and blowing things up, players earn extra planes and open a bonus level based on their achievements.  At the end of each mission is an endboss that must be defeated in a one-on-however-many-they-choose-to-throw-at-you dogfight.  

Along the way, players can receive gun upgrades, reflective shields, increase health, unlock planes, and earn gold, bronze, and silver cups.       

I enjoyed playing Mortal Skies.  It’s a straightforward shooter game that requires a minimum of strategy.  Yes, the enemies you’re fighting have different abilities you must adapt to in order to beat them, but if you’ve acquired enough weapon upgrades, you can last a while in a straight-up dogfight.  If you haven’t the weapons, it’s nearly impossible to defeat the endbosses at the tail end of each mission.

That brings up another point: the game’s difficulty.  Players can control their plane using either touch controls or the accelerometer and can adjust the difficulty setting to make it easier.  However, it’s still very tough even on the easiest slider setting.  A pending update (1.1) will make it easier to play, however, and should also lighten the plane so it doesn’t drag to the degree it currently does.

I would definitely recommend Mortal Skies: the gameplay is solid, graphics are superb, and it’s quite a challenge.

But one of those nifty carpal tunnel hand casts is almost certainly in my future.

Mortal Skies

Version 1.0

Tested on iPod Touch 3.1.2

Right off the bat, if you have any interest in turn based strategy games, this review is worth your time. If not, read the review anyway, because everyone should be interested in turn based strategy games. When you read the title, GO! GO! Rangers!, the first thing to pop in your head might be the mid-ninety’s children’s television show, the Mighty Morphing Power Rangers. Well, that really has nothing to do with this game. When you see the graphics for the game, the first thing to pop in your head might be the mid-ninety’s video game/TV show franchise, Pokemon. Well, that is a bit closer to the truth. Kind of… Both of those were popular after I was out of their target age group, but that won’t stop me from enjoying this fun little game.

GO! GO! Rangers! is a game about battling a bunch of heroes against a big boss monster. All of the heroes have different abilities that change the course of the battle constantly. It is an extremely deep strategy game that requires a bit of homework on your part to figure everything out. Luckily, I’ve done a fair amount of your homework for you. (you’re welcome)

You play on a 3×4 grid and you move your ranger heroes around this board. There are basically two phases to the game, the tactical phase and the battle phase. During the tactical phase, you can move your heroes one square up, down, left or right that is not already occupied. Their position on this board determines which action ability they will use. Then comes the battle phase. This is just the execution of the heroes abilities followed by an attack from the boss monster. An interesting aspect is that the heroes will not preform their abilities if they moved during the tactical phase, only if they were stationary. You have to constantly weigh the pros and cons of moving heroes out of the monster’s attack range or being able to use their ability. Pretty fun stuff.

I’ll admit. What drew me to this app was the crazy ass Japanese to English translations. They are pretty much hilarious. They do make it hard to figure certain aspects of the game out, but worth it in my opinion. One thing I wanted to see in GO! GO! Rangers! was the ability to level up my heroes. I generally like to go back to old battles and level up my characters to make them stronger. You do get new heroes almost constantly, though, so that’s not really a problem either. If you think you might like to try GO! GO! Rangers! out, IMAGIO Co. has put out a lite version. Check it out and get your turn based strategy fix.

iTunes Link – GO! GO! Rangers!
Version 2.0
Reviewed on iPhone 3GS OS 3.1.2

Are you a moron?  No?  What about your friends?  Your brothers or sisters?  Boyfriend or girlfriend?  Kids?  Are you sure?  There is one way you can find out: Moronoid.

Bogdan Andresyuk’s Moronoid is part of the wave of games that tell you whether or not you’re stupid.  Or a moron.  Or not as smart as a fifth grader. 

This one, Moronoid, has a series of questions that test your ability to follow instructions, keep your wits about you, and think fast. If you miss one question- any one question- you fail and the game tells you that you’re a moron.  You must then start over from the very beginning.  If you answer all the questions without making a single mistake, you’ll be able to safely say you’re not a moron.

But I’m willing to bet you won’t be able to answer every single question correctly the first time around. I sure wasn’t.

Moronoid requires a knowledge of geography, counting, memory, spelling, and various other skills you’ve been using all your life.  As far as gameplay goes, it’s not bad at all; it’s fun, a great diversion, and highly addictive.  Once you get started, you’ll probably want to keep going until you’re able to get every single question right.  Be forewarned, though: it might take a little while.

And after you’ve mastered the game, have someone you know play it.  Feel free to give them a hard time while they’re playing.  Taunt them, tease them, laugh at them.  It’s fun that way, too. 

If I were to recommend any improvements to Moronoid, I would say that the game could use more questions.  A lot more.  And a randomizer so that questions aren’t always presented in the same order.  That would definitely keep players on their toes.

I’ll bet I know what you’re thinking: I can beat Moronoid.  I know I can.  There hasn’t been a game created yet that can beat me. 

Good luck.

Moronoid

Version 1.0

Tested on iPod Touch 3.1.2

In the days before Pandora, Sirius, and Napster, radio ruled the world.  If you didn’t own the album, CD, or cassette, the only way to hear your favorite tunes was the radio.  Your yearning for the latest from Michael Jackson, Nirvana, Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers or U2 could only be satisfied by a radio DJ.    

Sometimes you might flip on the radio and catch your favorite song halfway through.  That wasn’t so bad.  Sometimes you only caught the last few seconds of it.  That was bad.

Every now and then, if you were lucky- really lucky- you’d enter a kind of musical zone.  In the zone, you could flip on the radio, catch your favorite song as it was starting and listen to it all the way through.  If you were really in the zone, you could change stations after the song had ended and catch it again, right at the very beginning.

Good times.  I don’t miss them one bit.

Gianluca Falasca’s MyTtuner- The Ultimate Radio operates under the principle that somewhere on the world’s wide web, an internet station is playing a song or an artist you like.  With MyTtuner, you tell it who or what you want to hear (you can enter up to 6 choices) and when the app finds that song or artist, it will let you know (as long as you’re still in the app, of course).  Then, just tap your screen and enjoy on-demand music old school style, minus those pesky subscription fees.  If you really like a station, you can select it as a favorite and listen to it whenever you want.  Do you have favorite artists or groups?  Great!   Save them and the next time the app is opened, you can quickly search for their music.

MyTtuner will also generate a listing of every artist being played at the moment and  update every 60 seconds. 

Sweet, right?  Unfortunately, MyTtuner initially had some serious issues with stability; it crashed every time I used it, even after an update designed to eliminate them.  Each crash would erase my saved searches, my saved webcast stations, and music history.  As you can imagine, that was a pretty big disappointment, especially for an app with a $2.99 sale price. 

These past couple days though, it seems to be running better.  When it works, it’s great.  When it works, I start to think about terminating my Rhapsody subscription.  But when it doesn’t, it’s quite frustrating.

My only suggestion for improvement- beyond stability- would be MyTtuner’s appearance.  It’s a little dull and could benefit from a colorful makeover.

With a couple more updates and a bigger pool of internet stations to find the music and artists I like, I might just stop feeding my money to Rhapsody and use those monthly fees to buy more apps…

myTtuner

Version 1.1.1

Reviewed on iPod Touch 3.1.2