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iPhone Game Review: Bookworm from PopCap Games

PopCap Games has announced that its Bookworm word building game has come to the iPhone.

Based on the PC game, this version includes several features unique to the iPhone including "shake to scramble", a bonus bookshelf of various themed words and a progress report accessed by turning the phone sideways.

With the similar basic concept as Boggle or Scramble -- building words from adjoining tiles -- Bookworm is different in that it's played on a staggered grid so that each letter has six neighbours, and when a letter has been used it disappears, allowing letters above to drop down.

Posted by Andy Merrett on March 24, 2009 11:11 AM in iPhone applications| iPhone games| iPhone reviews
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iPhone Application Watch: SoundCurtain

Here's a brilliant concept for those who find themselves easily distracted by outside noises -- me definitely included.

SoundCurtain is an iPhone application from Royal College of Art graduate and founder of FutureAcoustic, Andreas Raptopoulos.

He developed it from personal need, trying to drown out distracting noises of other students when he had to finish assignments.

The technology has been around for ten years, and on the surface it seems to be just another white/natural noise generator for masking out distracting external noises. However, the iPhone application is different in that it monitors the external sound via the microphone on the standard headset (or other compatible headphones) and adjusts the sound accordingly.

Posted by Andy Merrett on March 16, 2009 1:27 PM in iPhone applications| iPhone reviews
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SPONSORED BY POWERMAT

Apps and cloud software - the future of business accounting?

Intuit have just released the MyBizTracker App for the iPhone which promises to keep you in touch with your business accounts whilst on the go. It is always welcome to see a useful app, especially one that is free and does not rely on any pre-purchased software, but what exactly does this app do and how does it represent the developments being made in the world of business?

MyBizTracker from Intuit

MyBizTracker is pretty much what the name suggests; an app which allows you to track your business accounts whilst you are away from the office. It records all your incoming and outgoing expenses in real time as well as recording any expenses you incur on business trips (such as meals and taxis).

The app is certainly very good at doing everything it claims to do through its intuitive and simple navigation. The beauty of it is that as long as you have an internet connection (and where doesn't these days?) it is almost as good as being at the office.

The app has a simple display showing your business' finances and whether you are in the red or the black in real time. This means that your financial information is always kept up-to-date and you don't have to worry about what is happening to your cash whilst away from the office.

What does the app say about the world of business?

Intuit's app is a very simple idea but very effective and can be seen as a logical extension to their existing QuickBooks Online accounting software. This employs cloud computing technology for business use, enhancing various aspects of basic financial operations.

Cloud software has been positioned as a prime area of growth for businesses over recent years with an increasing number of services transferring their software to this virtual realm. There are numerous benefits to this and with such strong popularity, similar approaches towards other areas of business are expected to characterise the future of company dealings.

What does the app offer?

As with any app, it is never enough to simply do what it claims and MyBizTrack is as user friendly and functional as it is effective. It is set out in line with HMRC requirements so you can be confident that it is going to be reliable and do more than simply display basic information.

If you have a business and find yourself away from the office wondering exactly what is going on whilst you are away this really is worth trying out. It is absolutely free and is a completely stand-alone piece of software. Intuit have a record of making some of the best accounting software available inside the office and with this app they have proved their ability to transfer these skills outside of the office too.

iPhone Game Review: Magnetic Joe

Magnetic Joe from HD Publishing is a platform-style arcade game that's probably simple enough for kids to get the hang of but equally at home with casual gamers of any age.

It has a very simple goal: guide Magnetic Joe (think blue Pac-Man style creature) around a series of caverns while avoiding spikes.

As his name suggests, Joe is magnetic. By touching the screen, he is drawn towards one of the blue magnets. There are 40 levels to unlock, and you get one star for completing a level and a second star for equalling or matching the developer's time.

Posted by Andy Merrett on March 4, 2009 1:05 PM in iPhone applications| iPhone games| iPhone reviews
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iPhone Game Review: Bubble Shuffle

Bubble Shuffle, from Handmark Games, is a cute word puzzle game that's simple enough for children to play but advanced enough to provide a decent challenge to adults too.

The premise is simple: find as many words as you can from a set of letters (enclosed in bubbles, naturally) to advance to the next round.

There are four different games. Shuffle Rush requires you to find at least one word using all the letters before you can advance. There's a time limit, but finding other words adds a few seconds to the clock. Shuffle Puzzle is much the same but there's no timer.

Posted by Andy Merrett on February 18, 2009 1:02 PM in iPhone applications| iPhone games| iPhone reviews
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Review: Advent08 for iPhone

Following my review of 24 Christmas Days yesterday, I'm now going to take a look at Advent08 and provide a comparison.

Advent08 has been developed by iHabitus.com and offers an advent calendar based on the true Christian dates for this year (Sunday 30th November through to Thursday 25th December) and featuring a mini "service" or devotional for each day.

Look & Feel

Advent08 has been inspired by the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels, and as such has a very traditional, celtic look.

The twenty-six doors are placed around a central cross, with each of the four Sundays (30th November, 8th, 15th, 22nd December) plus Christmas Day placed on the cross itself.

Posted by Andy Merrett on November 26, 2008 11:28 AM in iPhone applications| iPhone reviews
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Review: 24 Christmas Days for iPhone

24 Christmas Days from Gourmet Pixel is an advent calendar which can be used year after year, and makes use of several of the iPhone's features to create an interactive, fun, and festive application.

One of the features of the software is that you can't open a particular window on the virtual calendar until at least that date. Fortunately, I've managed to take a sneak peek behind the scenes to bring you this review.

Look & Feel

Before December 1st arrives, a snow-filled screen appears introducing the application and telling you how many days there are left until you can open the first window.

Once at the calendar screen, 24 windows (arranged as a four-by-six grid) appear. Tapping on a window before the date arrives greets you with a message that you're too early.

Otherwise, you'll be greeted with a range of seasonal fare, including "cracker" jokes and fun facts, music, wallpaper, and a special little surprise once you get to the 24th December.

Posted by Andy Merrett on November 25, 2008 2:25 PM in iPhone applications| iPhone reviews
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Review: Astraware's Sudoku for iPhone

Astraware has just launched its own version of the popular logic puzzle Sudoku.

Let's face it, Sudoku implementations on the iPhone are fairly common -- a quick search on the App Store easily turned up around 40 versions -- so can Astraware's latest addition to the genre do the puzzle justice?

Firstly, it's worth saying that I've only played a couple of other Sudoku implementations on the iPhone. Secondly, everyone will have their own ideal way of entering numbers, pencil marks, getting hints, and so on. This is my own reflection based on a couple of hours play this afternoon.

Posted by Andy Merrett on October 17, 2008 4:09 PM in iPhone applications| iPhone games| iPhone reviews
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