As we all know from previous leaks iPhone 5 will have different aspect ratio from previous iPhone versions. What this will do to the iPhone apps? iPhone screens have always had a 640-by-960-pixel resolution and a 3:2 aspect ratio. Indications are the iPhone 5 will have a 640-by-1136 resolution, which is close to a 16:9 ratio.

Apps that use standard controls will benefit and use the extra space to display more information, static widgets or second row of buttons, we have similar dual-row context menu UI element on Android devices. The controls themselves will remain the same size since they are defined by finger touch requirements and not the screen resolution or aspect ratio. Games which take the full screen will have to do something with space when run on an iPhone 5 at both top/bottom in portrait mode and left/right in landscape. Notorious Angry Birds will definitely do great on wider screen and many action games will win a lot from using left/right space for thumb controls.

The difficulty is that application developers will have to create two versions of the interface for each of the aspect rations. This stuff isn’t exactly new to mobile developers; they have had to deal with multiple resolutions and aspect ratios on Android for years, but iPhone developers enjoyed benefit of having single aspect ratio for four years now and for many there will be a transitional period while they will get the necessary expertise.

Image via chrisbrownie91 on Flickr

For users most likely there will be also a transitional period while developers adjust their applications to the new aspect ratio/resolution requirements. While this will last a lot of applications will not look great with empty space on the screen which is something iPhone users are not used to.
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com

The UI of the whole app looks very clean, well thought over and intuitive. Things as the “pinch to zoom” feature prove that. The speed of taking awesome photos is surprisingly quick. In addition Camera Awesome has a new pricing strategy. Instead of paying for up to 30 packs of presets and filters individually, users have the ability to buy all packs at one time for $9.99. Overall Camera Awesome is a great performing photo app, with pro photos and filters.

Download the app for free here.

Check out my photos below:

This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com

Contre Jour is a new release from Chillingo, a developer already connected with great games that sometimes verge on the strange.  Contre Jour does more than verge on strange, it fully crosses that line into a weird and wonderfully artistic universe unlike any you’ve played before.

The main character, Petit, requires your help to get through each level; this help will come in the form of guiding Petit’s through lovely surroundings in order to speed him on his way to each level’s exit.  The landscape presents one part of Contre Jour’s puzzling nature. Aside from the physical puzzles of the game, Contre Jour gives off a mysterious air of its own which is its own puzzle.  Black and grey landscapes, animated with a flowing backdrop for little Petit’s amazing travels.

Contrast is provided by the softly lit, glowing orbs which Petit collects along the way.  And the environment itself, while always portraying the same dreamlike style, offers up some intriguing variety; blue tinted environments with slightly altered physics create an underwater world with ambient lighting, while Petit navigates in the open air, far above the ground from time to time.

To help little Petit, who certainly needs it, since he can apparently only engage in a nearly helpless rolling motion, players must solve the puzzle of navigating each level by creating a Petit-friendly path through its obstacles and pits.  The controls to do so make simple use of the touch screen, leaving players to expend their energy not on complex maneuvers but on mental aerobics.

Contre Jour tries hard to be magical, and it succeeds beautifully in an enchantingly minimalist manner.  Rather than basing its surreal appeal on acid-drenched coloring, Contre Jour seems to be all about subtlety.  Finesse is the name of the game here. Contre Jour is so good at creating its delicate, twilight world that the strangeness seems to disappear; what began as very odd seems normal and beautiful once players are engaged in the game.  The one criticism would be the puzzles themselves—there aren’t enough of them, and because of how few there are, even at the end they don’t provide really significant challenge.  Contre Jour could easily offer twice as many hours of gameplay without worrying about wearing out its welcome.

The really impressive thing about Contre Jour is how each of its elements work together.  The creative design behind the game is top notch, and the animation has a light touch that lets the minimal designs come to life.  The professional score that accompanies Petit is perfectly timed to the game’s visuals, right down to the natural rhythm of Contre Jour’s in-game physics engine.

Contre Jour gives users much more than $0.99 worth of enjoyment.  While I would beg the developers to expand this game in the future, I’d also expect it to come with a higher price tag at that point.  Contre Jour is a doorway into a different world that you don’t’ want to miss out on.
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com

D.A.R.K. is a darkly imagined, outer space horror themed dual stick shooter from Chillingo.  It’s fashioned as a super-soldiers vs. aliens mystery thrill ride in 3D.  

As a member of the D.A.R.K. Squadron, the player finds himself on a mission to unravel the events leading up to the current condition of the USS Stormbringer, an enormous military spacecraft.  The D.A.R.K.  Squadron is a military unit?think outerspace version of the Marines, or maybe Special Forces.  Serious tough guys encased in serious armour and packing serious heat.   Which is a good thing, because the crew of the USS Stormbringer might be gone(ish), but it’s definitely not empty.  The Stormbringer is inhabited by zombies, monstrous alien life forms, and malicious mechanical spider-like things.  Getting out in one piece is as vital as getting the down low on what went down, and this game supplies plenty of action.

The controls are quite simple.  Steering the character via touchscreen couldn’t really be any easier, with the top-down angle of the view and the narrow corridors.  Combat controls are also simplistic and intuitive.  You’re basically just mowing down enemies; it°Øs experience and survival that boost the character during leveling.  Proficiency with individual weapons also levels up as you progress, giving more oomph to your firepower.

The game°Øs not exactly a gamechanger? we’ve seen games of this type in the genre before.  What it is, however, is a well-executed example of the type with graphics that pop and attitude to spare And more action to come.  Because D.A.R.K. is only the beginning of this ride?episode two is supposedly on the way as a free update.  It’s a visually rich game, and if you like having a horror element thrown in with your shoot ‘em up space epics, D.A.R.K. is a great choice.

Visually, the game is impressive.  The top down view is gorgeously executed and crisp.  The close ups for cut scenes can be a little shaky, but thatss to be expected? it would be nice to see that cleaned up for the next episode though.  The game has a nice gritty post-apocalyptic feel to it.  The audio is fantastic, with separate themes for combat engagement and travelling which is a nice touch.  Overall, D.A.R.K. presents excellent material in a great way, which adds a lot to the game’s playability factor.

D.A.R.K. sells for $2.99 on iTunes, and if the future episode is as good as this one, that’s an incredible deal.  As it stands, though, $2.99 is still a great price for a game of this caliber.  It’s compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad (iOS 4.0 and up).
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com

4:33 Creative Labs, aka FourThirtyThree, has launched their new title Secret of Chateau de Moreau.  The new game can be favorably compared to the popular title Phoenix Wright, in terms of its emphasis on evidence gathering and presentation—but it’s got a style all its own, and many will prefer Secret of Chateau de Moreau.

Backstory isn’t just important in this narrative driven title, it’s critical.  From the opening cut scenes on, players will have to stay observant.  The smallest detail can contain a vital clue.  Clue to what? To solving the murder of Count Moreau, of course.  On the one hand, the player character Antoine Moreau has it made—the Count’s death has brought to light his will, and Antoine gets everything.  On the other hand, this makes him a pretty attractive suspect, because it gives him a motive.  Plus, his relatives aren’t feeling too generous with him, seeing as how the Count cut them out of his fortune.  This mystery isn’t one that needs to be solved for just for fun (or profit).  Antoine has to clear his name, and to do that, the real killer will have to be smoked out.

Finding the real killer is easier said than done.  There’s a whole host of non-player characters and pretty much everyone has a good motive for knocking off the Count.  And the chateau is positively saturated with plots and secrets.  To uncover them all, players will use the efficient and well-designed user-interface and menus to navigate their way through a vast, shadowy castle and explore its grounds.  The controls are smooth and intuitive, and the touch screen makes point-and-click adventure effortless.

Like adventure games before it, Secret of Chateau de Moreau requires players to solve puzzles (over 100 of them!), converse with the other characters, and collect objects.  Doing so will allow Antoine to make sense of the story that’s being revealed in bits and pieces as the player progresses.

But players won’t just uncover a story, they’ll be taking part in it.  The game is not a simple matter of win or lose.  FourThirtyThree has heavily touted the game’s alternate endings, and with good reason.  Forty different potential outcomes make losing almost as fun as winning Secret of Chateau de Moreau. The puzzles pack a punch, the interactions between characters adds a layer of intrigue, and the overall presentation of the game drives it home.

The presentation is very close to flawless.  With the number of flashy 3D games out there, it’s easy to forget how much impact intricate, detailed illustrations can have.  It’s like stepping into a period novel, one with a dark undercurrent just about to break the surface.  The stills are gorgeous, and the gameplay is just as beautifully designed to add to the game’s mystery.  Realistic sound effects round out Secret of Chateau de Moreau.
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com

One such app is Picksie. The premise is that, based on both your interests and on picks by Picksie experts, the app shows you all the kinds of events and entertainment options occurring around you, so you don’t miss out on anything (even things you didn’t know were happening!). You can also search for different kinds of places or activities if you have something particular in mind, sync up with your Facebook profile, and see all the options on a comprehensive map of your location.

Similarly, AroundMe takes into account where you are and links you to all the different things you could want nearby (e.g. parking, banks, restaurants, clubs, you-name-it). With easily accessible map and street views, an augmented reality view when you turn the phone to landscape mode, links to online reviews, one-click calling to locations of interest, and the ability to quickly share your finds on Facebook, Twitter, e-mail and SMS as well as save them to favorites for later, the app definitely makes accessing what’s around very agreeable.

While they both have great things to offer and enormous entertainment potential, I actually think they could take some cues from each other and would be better if their efforts combined. For instance, I love that you don’t need an account to use AroundMe. I get that Picksie takes cues from your interests, but if you could simply input your immediate desires, wouldn’t that be just as effective? Also, despite things that I searched for (and, might I add, knew for a fact were in my area), Picksie returned with some odd, albeit interesting, things and did not at all link me to what I wanted. For that reason, with specific locations in mind, AroundMe definitely had the edge, as it shows you everything around with no details to spare.

However, I am fond of the Picksie design, with its cute graphics and sleek yet simple aesthetics. While the augmented reality element of AroundMe is pretty cool, it’s interface is a little lacking, and visually does not do justice to its functionality. Furthermore, I love how Picksie has quick links to “Here & Now”, “Entertainment”, and “Dining”, as opposed to just places of interest. I think AroundMe could certainly benefit from the addition of activities as well as locations, and the whole element of spontaneity and picks by experts certainly adds an intrigue that AroundMe currently lacks. Sometimes I don’t know what I’m looking for; sometimes the best way to experience a place is to get lost and simply just discover the events around, instead of having a solid place or point in mind.

Therefore, I propose PicksAroundMe. Put the two together and see what kind of magic can happen. Enable expert input, incorporate festivals, activities, entertaining ideas, as well as the ability to find what you need when you need it. What do you think? Are you partial to one or the other, or do you think there is partnership potential?
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com

So here’s both the good and bad news: the game is bound to keep you on your toes (well… fingers), provide endless entertainment, and serve as another way to keep in touch or make new Friends. This means it will be yet another addiction to add to the list, and if you’re like me, another realm of competition to obsess over. But worse things have happened.  Zynga: I think I can reasonably say that your games are changing the frontier of how the phone can be used to connect, play, and ponder. I thank you for your Friendly developments and I can’t wait to see what kinds of wordplay will come next!
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com

The ONE campaign has been working towards enabling each person to have a voice by learning, sharing, and advocating for the issues important to them, particularly issues relating to poverty, disease, and brighter futures for the world’s youth. And now, for the first time ever, they are making their vision and mission even more accessible by releasing the first ever advocacy-oriented app, enabling iPhone users to become agents of change ONE at a time.

In order to inspire change, ONE Campaign for the iPhone does three important things:

First, it provides the power of knowledge. By giving you all the facts on various issues and the projects that are addressing them, you can not only become more aware of everything that is going on, but you can be informed of how you can best help. With daily content, photos, videos, and push notifications for breaking news, all the information is at your fingertips; it’s up to you how to use it.

Second, it enables you to join and connect to the ONE Movement and mobilize friends through your undoubtedly expansive social networks. Since word of mouth is the most potent motivator, spread your recently acquired knowledge like fire, and see the activism catch on. Furthermore, you can use the ONE movement and networks to learn about events, meet-ups, organizations, and other like-minded people who are addressing the issues important to you. You can not only learn about measures that others are taking, but you can be sure to join in any action that can help, and even spread the word about your own initiatives.

Finally, you can help create the change. The app enables you, with one click, to dial up members of Congress (the app even takes your location into account to alert you of any local initiatives and your politician’s stance and efforts), find petitions to sign, meet up at events and rallies, and contribute in any way that you want to or can.

In essence, ONE not only puts the power of change in each individual’s hands, but also enables each advocate to raise their voices together in hopes of a better world. No money is needed or even asked for — just your time, attention, and passion for a brighter future. And even if you’re not quite ready to take action, simply learning about what is being done and how much further is left to go can be very valuable.

However, I must say, I am a little skeptical about how this will catch on. While the premise of ONE restores some of my faith in humanity, will people actually download and use it? It seems that you’d need to be an avid ONE to derive meaning from it and ensure adequate societal contribution. If people are too busy as it is, or simply lack the desire and motivation to devote their time to learning further and contributing to the important issues that the ONE Campaign addresses, what is to say that they would be moved by this app, or that having the app would change involvement in any way?

Regardless, there is something powerful about extending ONE to more networks and enabling advocacy to become that much more accessible. I sincerely hope to see ONE become the most powerful number, and have faith that the campaign, and movements like it, can plant the seeds necessary for a better, more involved, and compassionate world.
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com

Seconds is one of the most highly rated Health & Fitness apps for the iPhone, and ensures that your intervals are enjoyable, efficient, and highly effective. Seconds is designed to help you get the most out of your interval workout, by providing you with pre-programmed sets, or enabling you to design your own plan. Furthermore, you can customize the intervals, designating specific songs or playlists to play per interval so that your music continues to motivate you, assigning time limits (for individual intervals and the workout overall), referring to past workouts based on what has worked and felt best, and ensuring that you’re crafting sets that will deliver the results.

Never again worry about racing against the timer or strategizing your fitness. With Seconds on your side, you can let your mind go and lose yourself in a fun cardio workout that will help you achieve your goals right in time to show it all off for Summer.
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com

Following the conference, it has become clear that many major improvements will be made to Android operations — not just for users, but perhaps more importantly, for developers as well. For instance, many technical improvements will be made to make the Android system easier for developers, such as a more robust version of App Engine (a tool that allows developers to build and host business apps using Google’s network infrastructure) and more support for Go programming language (which enables Android devices to communicate with other household electronics). With these changes in place, will Android be able to tackle the hurdle of app inferiority to the iPhone? Will we see Android take the lead when it comes to multi-platform support and business-specialized functionality? Surely Apple and the iPhone will have something up their sleeves to counter these moves, but will these alter, or perhaps add to, an increasingly popular Android face?

Furthermore, the updates will address entertainment concerns that the Android has faced — specifically with music and movies. Google Music will be introduced which will allow users to manage and sync music libraries on all devices and access music from anywhere via the cloud, and Android’s App Marketplace will make digital movie rentals available for all Android-powered devices. Furthermore, version 3.1 will introduce further desirable capabilities such as task switcher (a feature that automatically turns off any features you’re not actively using), widget resizers, Google TV integration, a “state of the art UI”, and apparently a software that listens, really listens, to what you’re saying (TechCrunch has a great play-by-play here). Yes these additions are intriguing — but do will they be the push to overcome the iPhone? What will this mean for app developers — are more multi-platform apps in the works, as the mobile playing field gets, at least somewhat, leveled? I am a firm believer that as state of the art as Android’s UI may get, the user experience is one domain where Apple will always reign supreme, but what about these other features that, let’s face it, do add some appeal to the Android — is the mobile monopoly slipping out of the iPhone’s reach?
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com

Speaking of hands though, what does this mean for mobile? While a Civilization app exists, will the Facebook integration turn it into a social app on mobile devices as well? Will we see people building their civilizations with each other across multiple devices and platforms as well as from many places? As the new title, Civilization World, suggests, there is certainly a new world for the game to conquer, and it is social, mobile, and expanding. What civilizations will Civilization World conquer next?
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com