Q&F: Mantis Bible Study
Chris J. | Feb 7, 2009 Reference
User rating: 
(16 votes, average: 3.06 out of 5)
(16 votes, average: 3.06 out of 5)
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In looking at the Mantis Bible Study app, it is easy to see that it was designed with the more serious Bible scholar in mind. It includes a whole list of features to help those who are focused on a more in-depth study of the Bible. Unfortunately, for those who prefer not to use the KJV of the Bible and are not willing to spend the money for a different version, all of the features will be pointless.
The reason for that is that the KJV is the only version available for free in English. Versions such as ASV and BBE are available for free with some of the other Bible apps, but will cost $4.99 to download for Mantis. For some, like myself, seeing a five-dollar charge for what is free elsewhere will make Mantis’ other benefits seem less attractive. For others, the benefits of Mantis will be worth the cost of additional Bibles, or perhaps some are content with the provided KJV.
Bookmarking verses or taking notes on verses is quick and simple with Mantis. Simply tap the number of the verse which pops up a menu for notes, bookmarks, or verse comparison (between Bible versions). You can type in notes which will then be visible next to the verse.
Navigating is simple and quick. By tapping the button with the title of the book, you can jump to an book, chapter and verse of the bible. You can also quickly navigate chapters and verses through the gray triangles on the upper left and right corners. The search function also makes it easy to find exactly the verse you need.
Unique (to my knowledge) among the Bible apps is Mantis’ ability to highlight words, phrases, sentences, or more. Once highlighting is turned on in “Settings”, you can choose from four different highlight colors.
Also available are commentaries and Bible dictionaries, all for purchase of course. Again, some of these items can be found elsewhere for free, but will cost around $5 for Mantis.
In summary, Mantis is a powerful bit of software with one major flaw; that the designers feel they must recoup their costs by charging for every additional book. This is a problem in two ways: First is the perception of greed which will sour potential customers. Second is that most people resist the feeling of being nickel-and-dimed to death. A few more free Bibles, a couple of commentaries, and a dictionary will create a solid starter package to get people using the app. Once a user is familiar with the app, he/she is more likely to sink some money into an add-on book.
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- It's a Praying Mantis... with a sword!
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- Highlighting is a feature of Mantis unique among free Bible programs.
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- Jumping to chapters and verses are easy, just put you finger in the gray triangle and drag down.
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- Tap a verse number to open a menu like this.
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- While helpful, the directions are a little bossy. I prefer to try it later.
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- Lots of methods are available when searching.
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- Additional Bibles can cost up to around 20 bucks on the Mantis website.
Q&F: Tank
Michael (Admin) | Feb 6, 2009 Games, Quick & Free
User rating: (3 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
(3 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5) Loading ...
I want a tank and I want one now! My 1996 Subaru’s a tough little bastard but it doesn’t have a rotating turret and I can’t use it to blow stuff up. Awwww who am I kidding… even *I* know that my dream of cruising for chicks in an armored death machine is probably never gonna happen, so I have to get my jollies in other ways.
Cyril Cambien’s Tank is a super simple 3D shooter that provides jollies aplenty: just roll your mobile cannon around a farm and shoot everything in sight! Sorry, there’s no livestock to slaughter (which is a shame), but there are plenty of other tanks to hunt down, and if you’re feeling especially destructive you can also blow up just about anything else you come across including the random ammo crates that are scattered about. It’s probably better to pick up the ammo rather than destroy it, but hey, do what you wanna do.
You can move your tank’s turret left and right, you control the tank’s speed and direction by tapping the onscreen D-pad, and the center of the D-pad is your Kill button for firing shells at other tanks. Don’t confuse this with the missile button… that’s for shooting down helicopters that will occasionally show up to harass you.
This game lacks the polish of fancier apps that cost money (no global scoreboard! awww dammit) but remember that it doesn’t cost a penny and it isn’t ad-supported either. The graphics are decent, the sound can be muted with the iPhone’s “silent” switch, and radar is provided so you don’t spend all day rumbling around Green Acres looking for other tanks to beat up on. Tank is just a fun, free download that’s worth a look.
Get off my farm you commie bastards!!
PassPhrase
Chrisa | Feb 6, 2009 Games
User rating: (3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
When it’s -10 degrees out, like it is many a day here in Chicagoland, there’s little else to do for fun but drink, get “frisky”, and play games. Sometimes I do all three at once, but that requires skill and planning.
My neighbors and I are known to down a few cocktails and play Catchphrase on the occasional Friday evening, so I was interested to see how PassPhrase, the iPhone knock-off of the game, would fair. Now, this may be the schnopps talking, but I think it faired quite well.
If you’ve never played Catchphrase, here’s the rules, in a nutshell: Make two teams of at least 2 people each. Start the little device, which will give you a phrase you have to get your partner to say. You can say anything to get them to say it, other than the phrase, part of the phrase, how to spell the phrase, or something that rhymes with the phrase. For example – if the phrase was bannana bread, you might say, “fruit,” “dessert,” “loaf,” “peel,”, etc. If your partner guesses the phrase, you quickly pass the device to the other team who has to guess the next phrase. When the game ends, whoever has the most points – guessed phrases – wins.
PassPhrase works exactly the same way, but on the iPhone. I got my neighbors together last Saturday, and we had a few drinks and played a few rounds on my iPhone. And, it was fun! There are a lot of categories to choose phrases from, and you can turn the categories on or off, depending on what everyone is familiar with. The only drawback I found was that, the more cocktails into the night, the more likely my iPhone was to be dropped when it was flung from team to team. Don’t play in a room with a stone floor, that’s my best suggestion. For $1.99, it’s way cheaper than the Hasbro version. I hear you can even play it sober!
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- If you're not up on your entertainment gossip, you can turn that category off.
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- Gueess that phrase, then click next.
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- Handy rules built right in.
VoiceBox Dialer
Swain Valasek | Feb 5, 2009 Utilities
User rating: 
(9 votes, average: 3.89 out of 5)
(9 votes, average: 3.89 out of 5) Loading ...
Voice dialers for the iPhone are not in short supply; puh-lenty to choose from. So in this review I’ll try to find what VoiceBox Dialer from VoiceBox Technologies Inc has up its sleeve in its attempt to stand out from the crowd.
It’s important to rattle off some standard caveats so take your coat off and stay awhile. First, be aware that ALL app’s in this category are somewhat crippled and not by any fault of the dev’s. Due to the terms Apple set forth and enforces in the SDK, no app can fully integrate all the actual ‘phone’ features such as call lists, favorites and contacts. Another limitation is none can offer hands-free dialing (bluetooth headsets work after the call is underway but can’t initiate). So the best you can expect is to first enter your password (everyone should password their iPhone /end soapbox), touch the app icon, wait for it to load, hold an onscreen button, speak your command, wait for it to parse and then dial (there’s at least one app out there that goes right to ‘listen mode’ so you save the step of holding an onscreen button). On a side note, my advice to anyone is forget about using this type of app while driving unless you’re just begging for an accident. Also notable is background noise can cause parsing failures but again this is the same for all apps in this category.
Whew. All of that said, there definitely ARE plenty of situations where these apps can be fun and useful and the dev’s truly have done the best they can given the strict limitations. So without further adieu we have VoiceBox Dialer (VBD from here on out). This app actually records your spoken command and sends it off to a remote server for processing. Assuming you’re ok with this (their website states they do *nothing* else with this data), be aware that without an Internet connection this app isn’t going to function. If, like many others, you routinely keep 3G disabled to save battery you will find that 2G is so slow that the connection attempt can actually time out. Even if you always keep 3G on, we all know how possible it is to be pushed back to 2G at any time based on the whims of the 3G coverage gods. Personally I don’t think this ‘offloading’ is a very good decision for this kind of app but regardless of what I think let’s cover what you get for the effort.
All such apps let you give simple commands like ‘call mary at home’ or ‘call john mobile’. VBD ups this ante with more natural language support so you can say things like ‘get me billy at work’ or ‘dial 867-5309′ or even ’what about kristin on her cell phone’ and quite a few other combinations. This is the most valuable extra that’s directly related to the increased processing power of an external server and it’s pretty cool. Int’l dial is supported as long as the contact entry has all the right prefix info. Fairly standard options such as vibrate, autodial delay and sound prompts can be configured inside the app. VBD also takes an Iron Giant-sized stride toward convincing you to permanently replace the default phone app by presenting your entire contact list and a direct dial keypad from within the app. As noted, no app can pull your current call lists or favorites but VBD does its best by giving you its own so if you decide to commit to the app you’d eventually have the functional equivalent of each.
In the end, VoiceBox Dialer is extremely high on features, probably as close to a default phone app replacement as you can get within SDK limitations. However, I personally can’t quite get behind the feature of sending your voice commands to a remote server. Not because I fear for my privacy but because of the very real possibility that your data connection or a VoiceBox server could be down or slow, any of which resulting in delays you would never experience with the default phone app. VoiceBox Dialer is as free as a jaybird so in the end, due to the wealth of great features, I absolutely recommend you grab it, spend some time with it and see if it suits you personally as it is in fact a superb app (especially for those of you who like to keep 3G enabled and/or spend a lot of time on WiFi). Lastly, if you want to do a little head to head comparison of VBD with another app in this category that doesn’t parse commands offsite, try Melodis Dialer which is also free.
Version reviewed – 1.1.0
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- Certainly an attractive UI, no complaints here
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- All the configurable settings
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- A manual dial pad, slick
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- Access all your contacts w/o leaving the app? You bet
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- Like the default phone app, your call history is logged and you can choose favorites
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- As usual, 2G = the l0se, best to stay on 3G or Wifi for this app
Tags: free, Swain Valasek, Utilities, voice dialer, voicebox dialer
Lip Service
Chrisa | Feb 5, 2009 Entertainment
User rating: (No Ratings Yet)
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Being the lippy broad that I am, I have been known on occasion to tell folks, “When I want you’re opinion, I’ll give it to you.” And finally, there’s an iPhone application that lets me do just that – insert my opinion into the mouths of those who should obey it, as if they were my own personal Charley McCarthy. If you don’t know who Charley McCarthy was, you’re either under 30 or under heavy sedation.
Lip Service by Deepwell Software lets you either take a photo or use an existing photo of some unsuspecting sap, put cartoony lips on them, and record something they should have been smart enough to say on their own. There are lots of goofy lips to choose from, and once you create your schtick, you can even email it to your victim and everyone he or she has ever met, for their own personal amusement.
It’s easy to use, and for $0.99, it’s cheap fun. Just be careful who you make fun of – at this price, they’ll buy it and get you right back.
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- Choose a mouth, then record. The mouth moves with the soundtrack.
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- I picked on my teenager, and emailed it to all his friends!
Tags: $0.99, Entertainment, fun
Downhill Bowling
Lindeisha | Feb 4, 2009 Games
User rating: (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
I am not a big risk taker or thrill seeker kind of person. I’ve only downhill skied twice in my life – and that was on the bunny trail a loooong time ago. No, I prefer safe fun in the comfort of my living room, in an overstuffed chair while playing games like “Downhill Bowling” by GameResort. This is when my inner-child gets to come out.
Downhill Bowling is an app creation of genius. I have played a few of the bowling apps. They provide a little mind-numbing fun. I’ve also played a few racing games and they provide a little more heart palpitating sort of diversion (minus the car crashes). Dh Bowling combines the aiming and score-acquiring fun of bowling plus the agility challenge of racing, PLUS a little bit of clever strategy. Even my inner child can quickly grow weary of even the most expensive games, but I have quickly become addicted to this one.
Like a race, the game begins with the bowling ball at a starting line situated at the top of a hill. Once you press start, the ball gets rolling – and rolling and rolling. There is no forward arrow or break to control the momentum. Instead of a bowling alley are 10 different landscapes (levels). The graphics for the landscapes are detailed enough to be semi-realistic, but simple enough to help you stay focused on the path. The scenery ranges from grassy hills to artic wasteland to the fiery depths of Level 10. Like bowling, there are 10 “frames.” As you steer the bowling bowl down a ravine or around an artic abyss, you aim for the middle of a bowling pin set. At the bottom of the screen are 10 triangular pin formations to keep track of how many pins you’ve knocked down. An X marks the sets you’ve missed altogether.
The excitement comes with the racing momentum of the ball. If you’re not careful, it could roll into a rushing river of water or lava. Along its path are strings of gold coins. These not only gain extra points, but also help steer you to the center of the pin set or the hole of a canon (more on that later). Plus there are some cube-shaped “pickups” for getting things like extra speed, bounce or bombs (a sure-fire way to get a strike). The strategy comes in when you have to remember when each pickup is needed along the path, as well as what things to avoid, like the cute, but poisonous mushrooms.
But wait, there’s more! When you carefully aim yourself into the hole of a canon, a friendly little raccoon is waiting for you. At that point, you can aim the canon with the slide of a finger across a very deep chasm to the finish line where the last set of pins is waiting. Of course, the end game varies at each level, but I do enjoy those raccoon canon ball rides as the raccoon yells “Wheeeee” (I’m assuming out of pleasure and not terror).
What I really like:
• The level of challenge – not so hard as to cause immediate frustration, and not too easy so as to not leave plenty of room for improvement.
• Varied and colorful landscape (snowmen, cliffs, big pot holes, etc.)
• No other buttons to touch besides using the pickups and firing the canon.
• The music – a kind of updated surfer rock
• Fun sound effects
• The ease of getting a strike
• The ability to play for points or for speed
What I would like to see improved (and these are nit-picky):
• A glossier ball
• Bigger arrows for the detours (or else better glasses)
• Eventually more levels (no big hurry, but eventually I may need new challenges)
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- Who knew there was bowling in the center of the earth?
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- Just follow the $, honey
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- Don't call PETA - this raccoon LIKES to ride canon.., er, bowling balls
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- Hmm, do I choose the grassy knoll or the arctic wasteland?
Tags: Bowling
Update: iBonsai
Michael (Admin) | Feb 4, 2009 Entertainment, Updates
User rating: (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
The original review of iBonsai is here.
Here’s the update from Brainpower Labs:
iBonsai 2.0 is here! Now with several new features that make the experience even better. Since version 1.0 we have had many requests for background music and more control in general. In version 2.0 we have added these and more without detracting from the original theme.
After updating to 2.0, explore the new iBonsai preferences in your iPhone/iPod Settings, and see the new instructions page within iBonsai.
List of Changes
• Added auto-generated ambient music.• Added interactive growth shaping tool.
• Added growth speed feature.
• Added auto regrow feature.
• Made the buttons on the main page simpler and more visible.
New Feature: Ambient Music
In keeping with the theme of procedurally generated art, we have added a music composition algorithm which automatically produces an endless supply of unique ambient music! This optional feature creates a sparse sequence of plucked strings which never repeats. The resulting soundtrack provides a subtle audio backdrop which complements iBonsai’s elegant visual style.
New Feature: Interactive Shaping Tool
The core iBonsai experience is to enjoy its automatic random growing process. However, for those that wish to have more control, we have added a shaping tool to guide the trees’ growth patterns. Simply touch and hold your finger on the screen for a short time to make the shaping tool appear. This tool exerts an outward force on all growing branches, pushing them away from your finger. Let go at any time to resume the normal growing process.
New Feature: Growth speed
You now have the option of adjusting the tree’s growth speed. Set it slow to enjoy a relaxed, meditative experience. Or set it fast to see a variety of trees more quickly.
New Feature: Auto Regrow
With this hands-free loop feature enabled, iBonsai continually grows new trees. Plug into your dock and let iBonsai paint trees for you all day long!
Tags: Updates
Update: BarnacleJive
Michael (Admin) | Feb 4, 2009 Updates, Website Stuff
User rating: (No Ratings Yet)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...If you read my post about the app formerly known as Explosive Diarrhea (now called Mega Fart) you know I was pretty pissed about the developer’s ad placement… ads at both top and bottom of the screen which, in most cases, is just tacky and not that big of a deal. The thing that got my panties in a wad was that the bottom ad totally looked like it was strategically placed to generate false ad clicks! And just in case you’re wondering, I actually wear boxers, not panties… today, anyway.
BarnacleJive Software just posted The World’s Longest Comment on the original post, and here are the parts that matter most:
I’d like to note that the Ad at the bottom of the fart apps has been removed. It was not my intention to “trick” users into clicking on the ad.
Almost immediately after the app became available the ad providing company, AdMob, contacted me directly and said the ad placement was in violation of their guidelines, and that they had stopped serving ads to my apps. If I wanted ads to appear I would have to remove the ad and submit an update.
So I quickly removed the ad and posted an update. The update excluding the lower ad has since been approved by Apple and AdMob, and I suggest you update if you have the app.
I admit that the ad placement was poor judgment, and I regret that that action has lead to an otherwise very reputable software development operation to be criticized because of it. BarnacleJive software primary sells educational and general lifestyle and utility apps. The paid apps have no ads.
The decision to boycott my entire body of work because a couple ad placements annoys you a little is wrong. Again, it was poor judgment to place an ad there, but accidental clicks cost the the user nothing but a couple seconds of wasted time. On the other hand, a boycott of my apps has the potential of really affecting what I have worked so hard to accomplish (stupid fart apps excluded), and is not fair.
Thanks to BarnacleJive for the update.
For the record, though… accidental clicks are no big deal only when they’re truly accidental. It’s when people start to profit from designing these “accidents” that I start to get agitated! BarnacleJive has stated that what they did was unintentional and we’ll leave it at that, but I’m just sayin’…
Tags: Updates
Tweetion
Chrisa | Feb 4, 2009 Social Networking
User rating: (1 votes, average: 2.00 out of 5)
(1 votes, average: 2.00 out of 5) Loading ...
Hi, my name is Chrisa, and I’m a twitter-er. It’s pretty much an obsession, and I should be in a 12-step program for it, but I can’t help it. I lovemicro blogging, and I don’t care who knows it! I’ve used another iPhone Twitter app for some time now, but it was a free app (you’ll have to search for it yourself), and while it works fine and does what I need, I figured there must be a more full-featured Twitter app out there, even if I have to pay for it.
Along came Tweetion, from Joggame. I guess you pronounce it “twee-shun”. And it does seemingly have more features than the freebie I had been using. You can have it automatically set your location based on where you are when you Twitter, automatically update your Facebook status from Twitter (although, Twitter itself can do this, without having to set it here), retrieve past tweets, update your service delivery (IM, SMS), and even edit your Twitter bio information. Don’t know about you, but I usually set that and forget it on the Twitter website, so I don’t know how often you’d use the setup, after your first time entering your login info.
Then, of course, you can read tweets from those to which you subscribe, add a tweet, add a twitpic, reply to a tweet, search for trends, etc. All the things you’d expect.
But, there are some downfalls. In the settings, you use standard iPhone “dials” to pick how far back you’d like to pull tweets, but it doesn’t work as a dial. In fact, it’s infuriating as all hell to figure out how a dial ISN’T a dial (see below). In fact, the entire setup menu is either a little blurry, or I need a prescription change on my glasses. Recent Tweets are in HUGE boxes, which I found hysterical, since the avatar/bio pic for each tweet was so small, I could barely make out what it was. Oh – and if you want to view your profile, all you get is your tiny bio pick – can’t even read your own bio to be sure it was edited correctly in settings.
Then there’s adding a tweet. It takes no less than 4 clicks – minus what you type – to add an entry. Why? Seems like there are 2-3 clicks to many and when you’re an addict, you need to get delivery of your fix fast. 4 clicks wasn’t fast enough for me.
I tried to give Tweetion a fare shake – I used it to Twitter for five straight days, and in the end, I went back to my free Twitter app. Maybe I’m just used to the free one, but I get more tweets on a page, bigger bio pics, faster tweets, and easier searching on the free one. Seems that Tweetion slaps in a lot of stuff you don’t really need to justify charging $4.99. My advice – slim it down, make the bio picks bigger, and charge $1.99. You’ll probably end up making more dough in the end.
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- Is the setup screen blurry, or do I need thicker glasses?
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- A dial that DOESN'T roll.
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- All that space and a tiny pic. What a waste.
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- Click to add. Type. Click Done. Click Update. CLICK THIS.
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- Oh yeah...click ok. I think the developer got paid by the click.
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- My profile. Uh.....ok...
Tags: $4.99, social networking
The Stone of Destiny
Swain Valasek | Feb 3, 2009 Games
User rating: (4 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
(4 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5) Loading ...
The Stone of Destiny from Artur Ostapenko claims to be the first hidden object game for the iPhone. Since I’m not going to sift through all the games in the app store to verify this, I’ll just go with that as stated and get right to the review. For the uninitiated, the hidden object genre of casual games always centers around the core mechanic of looking for a list of objects within a detailed graphic image. Think of it as a highly visual form of word search puzzle. Beyond this, the best developers wrap a fictional narrative and around the whole thing and throw in several other types of puzzles and minigames for variety and to add value. Let’s see how this offering stacks up.
The game begins with a nice graphic novel-style intro describing the mysterious disappearance of the protagonist’s uncle and the only clue left behind being a list of objects. A good enough segue into the first search puzzle and the first of many such interludes that progress the tale; simple, effective and entertaining. Eventually you find yourself on a globe-trotting journey on a diverging plot line to uncover the mystery. Progress through the game is charted on a map that gives you some sense of where you’re supposed to be in the world. The searchable images are summarily excellent and the game boasts over 25 of them. You start with a fully zoomed out view of the image and the objects you need to find are in a scrollable list along the bottom. Later on the challenge increases slightly as instead of a list you see only silhouettes of the target objects. You can select objects from the zoomed out view with a touch but if you double-tap (or select the appropriate icon from the right-side menu) you’ll zoom in for greater detail and this is where you’ll be spending all your time. As your eyeballs scan the image side to side Cylon-style (swipe to scroll), a graphical hint timer increments and when due you can get a reveal of a random object in your list. There’s no penalty for using hints and when you do, the timer simply begins again so it’s all very copacetic. While there is in fact an overall time allowed per level, there’s simply so much of it that I never came close to running out (also you do not get time added back for finding objects). The game is in fact super-lenient overall and you can take all the time you need with no pressure. You can exit the game at any time and your progress is saved.
Interspersed from time to time are minigames including a nifty rune-drawing exercise, the age-old rock stacking puzzle, an ‘untangle the lines’ puzzle and a variation on the sliding tile puzzle. There’s just enough of these minigames to keep it fresh so you’re always ready to dive into the next object search. In a nice touch, at the end of the game you get to see how long you spent puzzling (cause stats are always fun).
So here’s the thing…this game is quite easy (though the final puzzle is quite challenging I must admit). However, it’s really not the intention of hidden object games to be brain-shatteringly difficult so you have to keep that in mind. It’s all about the casual gaming experience and production values. Even with that said though, the game could be a tad harder or at least include a separate challenge mode with less time and hints. Also sorely missing are a couple or 3 ambient music tracks which would really enhance the enjoyment.
I experienced zero bugs or glitches with this game so it is flawless in that regard, bravo!
Neat features:
- Graphics & cinematics are top-notch
- Landscape mode in either orientation (accelerometer-determined), yay!
- Multiple profiles so everyone in the family can have a go at their own pace
- Gobs of content so you won’t be finishing in 1 sitting
At a buck, The Stone of Destiny is a must; you should have it on your iPhone. It’s an absolutely perfect de-stresser as there is zero pressure, lots to see and do and you don’t need cat-like reflexes to reach the end. This game is heartily recommended and definitely sets the bar high for other entries in the genre. The only thing missing is some relaxing background music during the main object searches, noted prior but worth repeating as the effect of music can never be underestimated.
Version reviewed – 1.2
iTunes music supported – no
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- Step right up, everyone can have their own profile!
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- Example of the graphic novel styling
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- Aye lad, it's a MAP
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- Who knew the iPhone could render such detail
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- Now you only have silhouettes to go by
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- Oooo, a hint is ready
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- I can't resist a hint so there's a free reveal
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- Nicely presented rune-drawing minigame
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- The classic untangle the lines puzzle
Tags: $0.99, Games, hidden object, stone of destiny, Swain Valasek
Listomni
Chris J. | Feb 3, 2009 Productivity
User rating: (7 votes, average: 4.43 out of 5)
(7 votes, average: 4.43 out of 5) Loading ...
I like being organized. That being said, I also hate all the work it takes to get organized. Lists can help, but who wants to carry around a pen and a couple of sheets of paper all the time? Enter Listomni Lists, an app from the folks at Ontomni LLC. This app is designed to help keep you organized in everything from your to do list, to grocery lists, even your budget.
There are ten different types of lists that can be used or created as needed, including a generic list. The generic list is a catch all that can be used for any type of list not covered by the other nine list types.
“Grocery” and “To do” lists are self-explanatory. While I usually try to stay away from making statements like, “this app has everything,” it is hard to avoid when exploring Listomni. For example: when listing groceries, you can include the amount, where to buy it, the section it is found in, the price per unit (including tax if you want), and any additional comments. If you include where you are going to buy it, you can also tap on the gray icon to the right to get a map of various locations in the area.
There are also “Music”, “Book”, and “Movie” lists which are used to keep track of what you want to buy, read, watch, etc. There is a tremendous amount of customization that can be done in all lists and categories. In my case I added a “Loaned Out” section in movies to help me remember who has my DVD’s.
There is also the “Gift List”, “Card List” and “Gifts Recieve” which help you keep track of who you need to buy for or send a thank you card to. Items in the “Gift List” can be linked to websites where you can find the item. The app comes to you with an already impressive list of stores and websites already built in.
Lastly is the “Budget” section, where you can keep track of all the those people and places that take your hard-earned money. You can also set a total amount that you want to spend in any category, and the prices you enter for items will be subtracted from the total.
With all that this app can do, for many it will take some time to learn. Thankfully, the “Help” section covers every feature that is included in the app. For most people this is going to be crucial, since the purpose of some of the icons are not immediately clear. Each topic (and there are 67 of them) is brief and includes diagrams to indicate which icons are being referred to. I believe that most users are going to be referring to the help section frequently at first.
There are plenty of important or just helpful features. The “Backup” feature is just plain crucial when you consider how much can be done with this app. Also available is the “Combo Lock” which allows you to lock your lists with a 4-number combination. Also, it is always nice to have the option of a landscape view if that is what you prefer.
While the price is a little on the high side compared to most of the apps I see, there is definitely a lot for the price. Whether this is worth it to you is really going to come down to personal preference rather than the app itself. Also, this app is going to take a chunk of your time just learning how to use it, customizing the interface, and inputting all the items. Those that would just as soon scribble out a list on a piece of paper than spend the time typing it into a iPhone will probably not find this app worth the price. On the other hand, if you are the type that loves to have everything organized and want to keep it all handy on your iPhone, then Listomni is going to be your new best friend.
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- This can be changed. Lists can be created, deleted, or renamed.
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- Unfortunately the Irish Breakfast tea hates the English Breakfast tea.
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- Tap the little gray button to go to Google Maps if you need directions.
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- I just love apples.
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- It's always nice to have the option of landscape view.
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- Gift lists should be handy around Christmas time.
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- What Dad wouldn't be happy with a tie for Christmas?
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- Wierd Al and Mozart, like two peas in a pod.
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- I created the "Loaned Out" section myself, I'm always forgetting who borrowed my movies.
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- You can backup or lock your lists.
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- Normally I skip the "Help" section, but I needed to spend a lot of time here.
People are winning stuff!
Michael (Admin) | Feb 3, 2009 Website Stuff
User rating: (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...The iPhone app giveaway of Valentine & Love C@rds and mStache is underway!
21 total winners will be chosen this week and right now the Facebook group only has about 65 members, so that makes the odds of winning a free app a very healthy (approximate) 1 in 3.
To be eligible to win, all you gotta do is join the Facebook group! That’s it.
Thank you to Hot Chili Apps and Brian Cantrell for giving their apps away!
