Last chance to freak out over your BMI!

iTunes Link : Body Fitness Calculator

On deck: MemoRu (Business)

One more round after this!

iTunes Link : Body Fitness Calculator

On deck: Body Fitness Calculator, part III

Use Body Fitness Calculator to confirm what everyone else knows: you’re a fat slob! Figure out things like BMI and ideal weight for your frame.

iTunes Link : Body Fitness Calculator

On deck: Body Fitness Calculator, part II

Learning self defense from an iPhone app is a bit like trying to learn to ride a bike by attending a spinning class. The reason I say this is certainly not to disparage the work done by Tollhouse Studio on it’s app, “Self Defense for All”, or to say that it won’t help you decrease the chances of being savagely beaten. On the contrary, I believe that the information in this app (properly applied) could help keep you from being ground into a bloody spot on the pavement. What I do want to convey, before I proceed with the review, is that this (or any) information by itself will only improve your chances of survival slightly. It takes self defense class with a qualified instructor to give you the best opportunity to be the one who walks away from a dangerous encounter.

Before I proceed, I feel that I should explain that I have been taking self defense classes for the past three years, which I admit gives me only a basic knowledge base. I also consulted with my instructor on his impression of the information in the app.

In my opinion, the most important information in this app is about avoiding a conflict completely. Many people are not aware just how much their actions can either invite an attack or prevent one. While I’m sure there are many out there who want to skip straight to the fighting lessons in this app, I cannot stress enough that the best way to keep your face from being rearranged is to avoid a fight altogether. This information alone gives me reason to recommend this app.

It is also important to note that the type of strikes demonstrated in this app are ones that are easy to perform. More importantly, they are not likely to leave you with a broken hand if you don’t do it perfectly. While not as effective as a punch thrown by a trained boxer, these strikes are easily learned and give you a good chance of being able to do some damage without taking too much yourself. Instructions are in the form of written instruction, photos, and video demonstrations, all of which make sure that the information is clear and thorough. I doubt that anyone will have trouble understanding exactly how to perform any of the strikes.

One section that would improve this app would be a section on follow-up. Knowing what to tell the police, where to go, and what to expect following an attack is also an important aspect of self defense. For instance, while the app addresses the adrenaline dump and how it affects you in the middle of a situation, it is also important to know how you will be affected when you “crash” later.

There are a few flaws or issues with the app itself, most of which should be easily fixed. There are a few typos scattered throughout the app, and in one section the sentence ran off the bottom of the screen. The background also interfered with the text at points, in particular the dark logo at the bottom of the screen.

While I wouldn’t expect the demonstrator’s accent (Irish, I think) to be a problem, there may be some individuals who might have difficulty with accents, so I feel it is only fair to give warning. After watching several of the videos, I hardly noticed the accent at all anymore. Unfortunately the echo from the room the videos were shot in was much more distracting. I doubt they will be refilming all the videos, but if they add or replace any I hope that they will lay padding to absorb the echo or just dub commentary later.

To those who read this who already have some training: I am aware that there are many schools of thought when it comes to self defense, and that there is no “one true method” when it comes to striking and defense. There are some who will strongly disagree with the types of strikes presented, the defense style, or any number of points in the lessons. Disagreement does not necessarily mean the the methods presented are wrong or that they will not work. This is meant as a basic (some may say very basic) course in self defense that will hopefully help give someone a little more protection than they had before. I think that it does the job well.

iTunes Link- Self Defense for All
Version 1.0
Reviewed on iPod Touch (2nd gen) OS 3.1.2

It’s time to meditate! eChant contains recorded chants and meditation photos.

iTunes Link – eChant

On deck: Nature’s Beauty Wallpapers

Helpful dieting tip of the day: stop inhaling your food! The Bite Buddy’s purpose is to tell you when it’s ok to take another bite, thereby forcing you to eat at a normal human pace rather than trying to set a Guinness Record.

Will it work? I dunno, but if you’re fat and sick of being fat you should be willing to try anything, right?!

iTunes Link – The Bite Buddy

On deck: Mused (Lifestyle)

Prenatal Smart is a food guide for PREGNANT LADIES. I’m putting PREGNANT LADIES in all caps because I know some of you code hounds like to redeem first and ask questions later, so please take a code only if you’re pregnant, know someone who’s pregnant, or at least trying to get pregnant!

Don’t worry, there’s plenty more free stuff in the pipeline for folks who don’t have a bun in the oven. :D

iTunes Link – Prenatal Smart

If you enjoy running and have an iPhone, than you likely have heard of RunKeeper from FitnessKeeper, the GPS assisted training app for runners.   It tracks and uploads training runs to the  RunKeeper website in addition to keeping a history of runs within the app.  An feature packed Free version is extremely popular in the App Store.   The Pro version adds a few key features, but are they worth the $10 upgrade?

Tracking a run is easy with this app.  It took about 20-30 seconds from when the app was launched on my iPhone 3G to obtain a good or excellent GPS signal.  From there, all you have to do is hit the green “start” button and go.  The simple approach to this app is welcomed, as there  isn’t many options to configure are decide from.  The status screen shows a graph of the pace you are keeping to see how fast you are going in relation to the rest of the run.   Since my iPhone is always on an armband while I am running, main status screen can rotate for easy landscape view.  The stats in this view remain the same as the portrait view.  RunKeeper Pro measures current speed, pace per mile, total distance traveled, and total time elapsed.  The app also measures elevation, but this is only available by viewing the run from the RunKeeper website once the it has been uploaded.   The website ties into Twitter nicely, for those who love to auto-share their runs.   A feature that was added to the recent version is the ability to see a real time map of the current run on the iPhone.

Pro Features

The Pro version has two key features that can make a huge difference.  The first, and most useful is the audio cues feature.  During your run, you can set the audio cues to update and tell you the time, total distance and current pace.  I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to take a quick glance at the screen to see how my run was coming along, but to be frustrated because I needed to unlock my phone to get to the status.  You can choose not to lock the screen, but if you do that you will kiss the battery life of these types of apps bye-bye.   The audio cues can be set to give updates at time or distance intervals.  The second key feature is training mode.  Training mode allows you to set up interval training, which is huge for those training for that Marathon (or other race) coming up because it takes the distance  guesswork out of road interval training.    Training allows you to do time or distance repeats during the run, and adjust the pace to match the goals of the workout.  For example, you can set for a 7 mile training run.  1 Mile warmup at a “slow” pace, followed by 3 miles at a fast 5K race pace, followed by 2 miles at a steady 10K pace, and a 1 mile cool down to finish it off.  The app will give audio cues as to when to start each section of the run.    I also enjoyed the iPod playlist integration, which will automatically start a specified music playlist when you hit the start button for the run.

What about resting?

One feature that would be extremely useful rest detection.  On my runs, I sometimes find myself stopped at stoplights waiting for traffic before I can continue.  With RunKeeper, I need to unlock the phone, hit the pause button, and hit resume when I start again.  Rest detection would make for less hassle in these instances

One of the Best

RunKeeper Pro is a great running app.   It does the job in a simple, yet functional way.  The addition of training and audio cues to the Pro version, as well as the clean look of an app without ads with will make the $10 Pro purchase worth it to many.

iTunes Link – RunKeeper Pro
Version 1.6.0.12
Reviewed on iPhone 3G 8GB (OS 3.0.1)

AllSport GPS is a GPS tracking fitness training app that can track a wide variety of activities including  running,  hiking, cycling and skiing.  It does so with an impressive amount of features and the support of a website that saves all of the activities.   Is this app geared more toward the runner, the  cyclist, or is it truly a jack of all trades?  How do these loads of features fit together for a user experience?  Does this app pull it off and and keep you motivated at the same time?  Read on.

As an avid runner, I mainly focused on the performance of this app while running, but it is easy to see how the features of the application are incorporated into walking, hiking, cycling, and even skiing.  AllSport GPS has actully been around for a long time as an app for wireless phones on multiple carriers.  Trimble Navigation sells AllSport along with other GPS related apps for many devices.   When I heard that Trimble would be releasing AllSport GPS for iPhone, I was very excited to be able to link my running activities across multiple devices (mainly BlackBerry  and  iPhone)

Tracking the Activity

When the app is launched, the user must first select the type of activity they want to track.  From there, a status screen will display during the activity.  The real time stats that are available are extremely robust.   On the main status screen (in portrait view)  There is a main stat box, which is completely customizable with the main stat that you want to focus on.  For a run:  pace per mile, time, or total distance are popular ones that would likely end up in the main stat box, which is filled in orange and easy to read.  Below the main stat box, there are six smaller stat boxes which also are customizable.  Calories, direction, distance, elevation gain or loss, and speed (current,  average or max) are just some of the stats that you have the option including on the main status screen during the activity.

While it is nice to have seven different info boxes that change in real time, there is an issue with the layout of the portrait stat screen.  The six smaller stat boxes below the main stat box are not easy to read because of the white font used on light gray background.  They may look ok in a screen shot,  but  are almost impossible to read while running or riding a bike because the background washes out the font.  I found this to be true during the day or at night.

Luckily there is a another status screen called the “Dashboard”  which comes up when the iPhone is rotated into landscape.   This is a fantastic way to display a status screen because it allows from one to four different real time stats to display.  Are you a runner that only cares about average pace per mile and total distance?  What about a cyclist that only wants to see current speed, total distance and total time?    This screen totally pulls that off in a fantastic way.    No readability problems exist here because of the simple white font on black background. A usable stats screen is an essential motivational tool for anyone looking for that instant feedback during a workout, and the Dashboard does an excellent job.

Instead of using the Dashboard, you can view your run, ride, hike, or ski run in real time on a map, speed chart, or elevation chart.  The real time map would be much more useful for a cyclist or hiker.  I found myself using the Dashboard screen during my runs most of the time.

A nice feature on AllSport GPS that some other running apps don’t have is the ability to detect rest.   Needing to remember  to pause the timer at traffic lights to get an accurate gage on the average pace is not fun, so the ability to detect when you are not moving is an extremely useful feature.

The performance of the app was rock solid during my testing period.  The app wasn’t buggy or glitchy for me.

Viewing and uploading Activities

After completing the activity, you can view all the the recorded stats, maps, and charts from within the application,  and also upload the data to the Trimble Navigation website.  The website allows you to enter more information about the activity and also share it with your Facebook friends.  A nice feature is the ability to download activities from the website that were not locally stored on the iPhone.

Feature Requests

Even though the Dashboard landscape stats screen does a great job, Audio updates throughout the activity are a feature that I would like to see in an update.  It is nice to have total distance and average speed though an audio cued update during the workout, on a time or distance interval as an option.   Sometimes it isn’t safe/convenient to look down and unlock the phone to get an update.   iPod playlist integration is would be nice to have because you need to remember to start the music before starting the AllSport app.  Having a specified music  playlist begin when the activity is started saves a few steps.  Finally, the ability to create a training workout would be nice to have.  For instance, often runners will do interval training with a mile warmup, then a few miles at a fast pace, a mile at a slower pace, then at a faster pace and so on.  If I had to rank the feature requests, I would definitely say the audio cues are more important to me than then the music playlist integration or training routines.

Outstanding All-Around

AllSport GPS does a great job packing in a ton of features in a usable way.  The customization on the tracking stats are important when trying have meaningful data for such a wide variety of activities.  As a runner, I was concerned that this app would not be a good as one that was more more dedicated to running specifically, but it does an excellent job. After using it for a few runs,  I am completely impressed with this quality of this app.  This is absolutely worth the $10 if you are into these outdoor activities at all.

iTunes link – AllSport GPS
Version 1.0
Reviewed on iPhone 3G 8GB (OS 3.0.1 )

There are lots of ways to pass the time when you’re squeezing one off in the bathroom… read a magazine, call your mom, pluck your treasure trail… but none of these activities will teach you a damn thing about your poo!

The hilariously named Poo Log is part fecal tracker, part bathroom timer, and part trivia game, and it’s all pulled together in a surprisingly fun app that you can use to create, well, a different kind of poo log than you’re used to producing while you’re on the can. With this app you can time how long it takes to do your business and how often you’re doing it, and to keep you busy there’s a poo-related trivia game, that is, assuming your ass isn’t unleashing the kind of chaos that requires you to hold on for dear life. When the smoke clears you get to rate your crap in several different categories and even make notes about how majestic it looks down there in the toilet bowl.

With other apps this is probably where I’d start suggesting new features that might make the app better, but in this case I think installing a camera to take a picture of your handiwork would just gross everyone out, including you.

AvatarLabs has done a great job of showing off their iPhone dev skills and sick sense of humor with this app which is actually based on a book called What’s Your Poo Telling You?

It’s a gross and often funny subject, but as we learned with iPoop there’s always a kernel of truth coming out of your rear end… or maybe several kernels, depending on what you had for lunch.

iTunes Link – Poo Log
Version 1.0
Reviewed on iPhone 3G OS3.0.1

Ask most people if they admire their bowel movements before flushing and they’ll cringe and go ‘ewww no!’ but my personal estimate is that 99% of those poopers are also liars! You see, even if your doo-doo isn’t big enough to get your picture in the Guinness Book of World Records, most people are vaguely aware that it’s an indicator of what’s going on inside your body, plus it’s only natural to want to have a look at what just came out of your ass.

Despite iPoop’s semi-funny name, it’s actually a somewhat serious app whose aim is to help you better understand the big pile of stink you just left on your bosses desk, I mean, in the toilet. While you definitely shouldn’t be using any iPhone app to self-diagnose health conditions, the poo-related facts this app contains are kind of interesting.

Since your body is liable to spit out any number of disgusting combinations of fecal matter, iPoop starts off by asking you to choose pooping frequency, color, and shape. Make your selections… just about every predictable color and shape is there… then tap on the “Flush” button and you’ll be presented with a corresponding set of info that will, hopefully, give you some insight as to why your turd looks the way it does.

Each poo trait has one basic summary attached to it as well as an “other potential causes” section in case you’d like to delve a little deeper into the subject.

The information is all pretty interesting and seems to makes a lot of sense but overall the range of info is pretty limited. Maybe this is on purpose? Quango Inc. is very careful to point out…

iPoop is intended for educational purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. We encourage users to use iPoop as a conversation starter with their qualified medical professional of choice

…and the app will even ask you to agree to a License Agreement the first time you open it. Still, I think anyone who’s interested enough in the science of poo to buy iPoop would be ready to at least try to understand more detailed explanations of cause and effect even if they’re a little hard to digest! Yeah that pun was on purpose. Links to relevant websites that address issues like healthy eating or even just Wikipedia pages might also be a nice addition.

In the app design department, though, iPoop couldn’t get much better! I don’t comment specifically on app design very often, but the bathroom stall theme totally works for obvious reasons.

Despite being fairly lightweight, iPoop is fun and interesting and it definitely makes for some meaningful bathroom reading when the big brown man is knocking on the back door *. Showing off this app probably won’t win you any points at the dinner table, but in situations where it’s harder to gross people out it’s also a pretty funny conversation piece if you’re in the right company.

Oh yeah, and in case you missed the point with Quango’s disclaimer above, I would also like to stress that you should consult a doctor (not a phone) if your rectum is starting to turn on you! Seriously, see a doctor for real problems.

* I stole that “big brown man” line from a very long list of euphemisms for poo! And just for fun I’m going to include that list here:

1. Bake a brownie
2. Bake a loaf
3. Bake a potato
4. Bake a russet
5. Barbarians at the gate
6. Big brown man knocking on the back door
7. Blow Mud
8. Bomb the Bowl
9. Build a dookie castle
10. Carpet bombing
11. Choke a brownie
12. Choke a darkie
13. Chop a log
14. Commit yourself to the dumpatorium
15. Conduct a movement
16. Cook a brown carrot
17. Cook a brown kielbasa
18. Cook a butt burrito
19. Cook a meat loaf in the porcelain saucepan
20. Cook some chocolate
21. Cook some fudge
22. Cook some sausage
23. Cook up a pot of anal stew
24. Crap
25. Curl some pipe
26. Debulk
27. Defecate
28. Disembowel
29. Disemfiber
30. Do the Royal Squat
31. Doo-doo
32. Download some brownware
33. Draw mud
34. Drill for mud bunnies
35. Drop
36. Drop Loggy Log
37. Drop Smokies (when camping in the winter)
38. Drop a bomb
39. Drop a brown trout
40. Drop a deuce
41. Drop a dookie
42. Drop a load
43. Drop a log
44. Drop a stool
45. Drop anchor
46. Drop the kids off at the lake/pool
47. Drop wolf bait
48. Drop your ordinance
49. Dump
50. Dump a stump
51. Enjoy a meatball sandwich
52. Evacuate
53. Fill the peanut butter jar
54. Float a trout
55. Give birth to a Marine
56. Give birth to a packy
57. Go Fecen’
58. Go into labor
59. Grow a Tail
60. Hatch a new boss
61. Hatch a new superintendent
62. Have a shit
63. Heave a Havana
64. Hit paydirt
65. Launch a Butt Shuttle
66. Launch a torpedo
67. Lay a brick
68. Lay a cable
69. Lay a log
70. Lay some cable
71. Load the crapper
72. Log out
73. Make a core dump
74. Make a delivery
75. Make a deposit
76. Make a deposit at the porcelain bank
77. Make a doo-doo
78. Make a log entry
79. Make grunt sculpture
80. Make mud
81. Make room for lunch
82. Make some fertilizer
83. Offload some freight
84. Pack your underwear
85. Paint the bowl (especially for a really wet one)
86. Paint with the brown stuff
87. Park some bark
88. Park your breakfast
89. People who like sausages shouldn’t see how they’re made!!
90. Pinch a loaf
91. Plant some corn
92. Play at the Toilet Bowl
93. Poke the turtle’s head out
94. Poop
95. Punish the porcelain
96. Put fruit in the bowl
97. Recycle fiber
98. Release your payload
99. Ride the hoop
100. Roll a Nut Log
101. Roll a log
102. Saw off a log
103. Seek revenge for the Brown Bomber
104. Shake a brown bomber
105. Shit
106. Sink a link
107. Sink a sausage
108. Sink the Bismark
109. Sit on the bowl
110. Sit on the can
111. Sit on the throne
112. Sjvsdtta en barkbet (in Sweden)
113. Snap a log
114. Spray and wipe
115. Squat
116. Squeeze a coily
117. Squeeze a loaf
118. Squeeze one out
119. Squeeze the cheese
120. Stain the porcelain
121. Study at the Library
122. Taint the cloth
123. Take a “Schroeder” (or insert another familiar name)
124. Take a Doogie
125. Take a dump
126. Take a growler
127. Take a load off your mind
128. Take a shit
129. Take a steamer
130. Test the plumbing
131. Visit the toilet for a poo-poo
132. Void your bowels
133. Zap the porcelain

Take 2 doses of Naturespace from Holographic Audio Theater and don’t call me in the morning; you won’t need to.  Actually Naturespace is its own company under the umbrella of HAT but I digress.  There’s a wide selection of audio-based relaxation apps out there but Naturespace stands out and not just because it’s free so read on!  What they’ve done is play around with audio imaging to create a surround-sound, 3D experience, even with the crappy Apple earbuds.  In fact, they’ve put special effort into supporting low-fi buds with a unique ‘earbud optimization’ option.  Certainly a high-end set of cans is best for ‘full spectrum’ mode but it’s great that they addressed the fact that like it or not, most people probably do use the plain old Apple earbuds.  They also have you covered with great suggestions if you want to upgrade your stock buds.

Onward to the audio tracks themselves; you get 5, each between 10-25 min long and seamlessly looped: Summer Mountain Valley, Ocean Waves, Riverwind Dreaming, Rain Into Water and Night at Lake Unknown.  3 of these are full-on ‘being there’ audio experiences and 2 add a subtle electronic overlay that make them just a touch more ambient.  The quality of these tracks is stunning and the positional effect a joy to behold.  For example, waves clearly break and dissipate from right to left in ‘Ocean Waves’ but it’s not just stereo as while you could picture yourself strolling parallel to the ocean (kicking up little sand divots with your toes), you could just as easily be convinced you’re standing still with the ocean at your back; it’s just all around you.  Additionally, there’s something called ‘The First Steps’ included with each track that gives you calming instructions to assist in mental visualization and enhance the particular track.

I tested the app with (of course) the Apple earbuds, an old set of Koss Sportapro’s and my higher-end Sennheiser HD 580′s.  The Apple buds were better than the Koss which are too bassy (great for music, lousy for ambient) but of course the Senn’s in full spectrum mode were the best.  Still, I was duly surprised at how good the Apple set was with this app so well done Naturespace!

Couple things of note: you can’t play all tracks in playlist format (1 track at a time) nor is there a timer (though instructions are provided for accomplishing this with the default clock app).  One thing I hope they fix in an update is that the app always defaults to earbud optimization mode on which is annoying if you want full spectrum.

Overall an incredible audio app for free; right up there with my all-time favorites in this category, the AmbiScience series from Tesla Software.  It doesn’t stop there either as you can purchase many more tracks directly from the Naturespace website.  If you appreciate a sensational audio experience, get this app now.

version reviewed – 1.0
reviewed on – iPhone 3G 8GB 2.2.1