AppCraver » Joe Niemiec

Hold On! – the game you love to hate

Joe Niemiec — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:27:56 +0000

This game is like the TV show Airwolf – both the best and worst thing ever conceived.

You ever want to take the back of your hand and give someone a nice smackarooski, but, at the same time, give them a big hug too? That’s the feeling I get about Hold On! Most people will see this app and just cringe.

But, I, and many iPhone users, are not “most people”. I like doing things which others might have problems with.

So I’m the freakish kind of guy who likes the soon-to-be iconic cultural time waster Hold On!

This game has ZERO learning curve. Just put your finger down and don’t let go. The app keeps track of how long you can keep your finger pressed. Genius bastards.

I’m only mad that I didn’t think of this first.

TRY IT. HATE IT. LOVE IT. Tell yourself you aren’t going crazy.

app_name: Hold On!
rating: 5/10

iMprint – approaching new levels of lame

Joe Niemiec — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:22:44 +0000

The opening screen of iMprint pretty much speaks for itself:

“The idea of this application is to stare at the optical illusions and pictures for a couple of seconds. After this, you may or may not see the illusion. This app is for fun, seeing how the images are interpreted differently on different peoples brains.”

Ok let me be frank here, this program is not worth the download time.

First, there are only four different pictures at which to stare.
Second, these brain teaser stare-screens stopped being cool back in 1991.
Third, I think most people are already tired of staring at computer screens all day.

The instructions above say that, “you may or may not see the illusion.” All I have to say is that If I take the minute and a half out of my life to stare at a computer screen and get more radiation burn on my eyes, I better be guaranteed to witness an illusion.

This game isn’t just not fun; it makes you wish you had done something more constructive with your life for that time, like taking a roundhouse kick to the cranium.

app_name: iMPrint
rating: 3/10

A Free Level

Joe Niemiec — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:16:43 +0000

I don’t know how many times I’ve needed a level and haven’t had one on hand. It is one of those thing that is usually too big for the toolbox so I don’t often considering buying one. I’m usually ask friends if I can borrow theirs.

A Free Level is a great app to know is out there for download but I ‘m not sure I would keep it installed on my iPhone considering that my phone only has 8gb of free space.

It works pretty well; I tested it when I need to make sure my road bike’s handlebars were level. Just sit the balance on the bars just like a regular level. I’m sure this would work well in most situations in which you need a level. It even makes sounds so you can tell if “the bubble” is in the level zone without looking.

It seems you can hold the iPhone flat on its back, or up on its edge, and the level will still take an accurate reading.

A couple of problems I foresee with this app is that often times when a person needs a level they are in a “construction environment” where the area is really dirty. I wouldn’t want to expose my expensive little phone to construction debris, dust or the possibility that it would fall if I have to balance it precariously on some edge or picture frame without keeping a hand on it.

Overall, great application!

app_name: A Free Level
rating: 6/10

Ball in a Cup – pretty much is what it is

Joe Niemiec — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:46:37 +0000

Simple name, simple game!

I was walking through the airport a while ago and approached the security scan area. I took off my shoes and put my keys and laptop into the gray bin. I proceeded to eat the banana I was carrying and I turned to my right to catch the glimpse of a security guard, who was looking at me and said, “ Sir, you can’t take that though the checkpoint.”

I paused and looked at the banana and looked back at him with a questioned expression. Without blinking and with a serious tone he said, “Sir, put the banana in the bin.” I looked back at him with a mouth half full of banana. That is the moment we both lost it and the laughter ensued.

I wouldn’t say that “Ball in a Cup” is quite as fun as “banana in bin” but It isn’t too bad. EDITOR’S NOTE: Keep it clean, Joe.

I like the way it uses the iPhone’s motion control to maneuver the ball into position. The point of the game is simple, just put the ball into the cup. I find it easier to hold the iPhone on its side I beat the levels pretty quickly but at the end the games tells you this was the test version and the full version is available for purchase.

For some reason I like this game. I mean, it is simple, but the cup moves around enough to make it slightly challenging to get the ball in. I beat the 6 levels pretty fast, but then again there is the full version of the game available for purchase.

app_name: Ball in a Cup Lite
rating: 6/10

Constitution – live free

Joe Niemiec — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:40:20 +0000

Here are some situations when the Constitution application for your iPhone will come in handy:

1.    Skateboarding, need to prove it is not a crime…
2.    Poly-sci babes getting crazy on the dance floor, need an opener…
3.    Finished sorting your sock drawer and finding caps for all of your pens, still have time to kill…

In all seriousness, the Constitution app is actually kind of neat. I mean, I never read the Constitution and now I might.

It lays out the Constitution quite simply, complete with Preamble, Articles I through VII, Signers, Bill of Rights, and other amendments.

The guys who designed the iPhone version on the Constitution were smart. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t rate it poorly. That would just be un-American.

app_name: Constitution
rating: 7/10

PearMe – pocket memory

Joe Niemiec — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:10:46 +0000

Remember the game Memory? Well, PearMe is memory but with pictures instead of drawings.

For some reason I’ve always liked memory type games and pair me is somewhat fun. You just touch your screen to flip a “question mark card” over. While that cards stays flipped over all you do is touch on another card to flip it over. If the cards match up then they are put to the side, or rather, down in a pile in the bottom right corner.

It might just be my own personal yearning to take a vacation but I liked the photos that PearMe uses. Many of them are destination focused and highlight nice landscapes from around the world.

When you match all of the cards in the deck, you pass the level and are awarded a time stamp that tells you how long it took you to complete the set.

PearMe is a good brain trainer that I don’t mind having on my iPhone.

app_name: PearMe
rating: 6/10

Who is Hot?

Joe Niemiec — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:53:24 +0000

“Who is Hot?” takes awkward silences to a new level.

The app basically takes your contact list and tells you where the source of the phone number originated and then grabs the current weather situation and puts that next to the contact name, phone number and city.

I purchased my cell plan in Wisconsin. So my phone number is from that area. If someone has me in their contact list, and they download “Who is hot?”, when they open up the app they can see what the weather is like in my area. But not where I live now (because my phone number is from my old area). The icon next to my name will be a cloud or sunny or rainy or whatever to indicate what the weather is like.

Pro: Amaze your friends – “Beautiful day outside, right Chuck?” Chuck will wonder how you always seem to know the weather conditions where he lives.

Con: Let’s say you make a mistake and dial someone whom you have no interest in talking to and they know that you have this application on your iPhone. You can’t fill the awkward silence with. “So, Terry, how’s the weather in your neck of the woods?”

“Who is Hot?” is kind of interesting but it doesn’t really do anything special. I mean do you really care what the weather is like in Washington if you live in Denver? Are you going to use this contact list over your regular contact list? No me neither…

app_name: Who Is Hot?
rating: 4/10

Trailers Lite – think “Portable Front Row”

Joe Niemiec — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:43:48 +0000

Trailers Lite is like a miniature version of the popular Mac application Front Row.

Since your iPhone doesn’t come equipped with the same multimedia features of your Mac, sometimes you just have to get creative.

Trailers Lite does this really well by basically acting like the trailer-movie-watching part of Front Row. It works great when you are thinking of seeing a movie with your friends, and you need to explain the preview to someone. Just showing someone something can reach across language barriers or concept misunderstanding friends.

Instead of saying, “Oh you have to see the Batman movie” and describing every impressive explosion and maching gun “rat ta-tat” with your voicebox, with Trailers Lite you can just break out your iPhone, touch Trailers Lite and presto! You have your movie.

Nice movie layout, if you change the iPhone’s orientation the layout changes to a cool multi-pick view.

Trailers Lite’s only drawback is that it supposedly does not work over the EDGE network.

app_name: Trailers Lite
rating: 6/10

Shazam – an ear for music

Joe Niemiec — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:16:11 +0000

Have you ever been sitting in your car listening to the radio (or better yet, in a coffee shop listening to piped-in Muzak) when a great song, that you don’t know the name of, starts to play?

Good thing you have an iPhone equipped with Shazam. Shazam is perfect for any situation when a song is playing and you don’t know which band or artist is playing it.

It is easy to identify previously unidentifiable songs with Shazam. All you have to do is get out your iPhone, open the application, hold the mic near the music that is playing and hit the “Tag Now” button.

Shazam takes about ten seconds to return the name of the band, with the record name and picture of the album cover, to your screen. It is really quite genius. The best part is that you don’t have to pay anything for this application. It is totally free.

I tested it; it seemed to have pretty good accuracy. I’m sure it works with almost 100% accuracy with most popular music and most things played on the radio. It might have some trouble when you try to pick up random, less well known or indie songs.

Other reviews said it didn’t work very well for jazz music.

The thing that is kind of neat is that after you get the song it gives you link to purchase the song and links to YouTube so you can watch the video.

I say give this one a try! I’ll be keeping it on my iPhone and using it.

app_name: Shazam
rating: 8/10

Hanoi – welcome to Zen

Joe Niemiec — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:04:38 +0000

I’m not a patient person. I mean, before I go for a car ride, I’ll whine and shake like a nervous poodle with a dog park fetish.

I am always amazed when I meet someone who has perfect “zen”. I’ve always wanted to be completely at ease. I’ve even signed up for yoga classes. I never really got the gumption to go yet, but I signed up for them. Like an alcoholic admitting a problem, I think that is the first step.

Something about Hanoi brought me closer to “center”. Something about a Japanese based rock-piling game can break through even the most east coast of us.

The game is very basic, but sometimes basic is the best.

It’s fun but not always easy – you just move the pile of rocks to the other side of the screen. I don’t want to explain too much, because I want you to give it a whirl.

Play this game and the Karate Kid’s kung fu will be no match for your inner Matrix.

app_name: Hanoi
rating: 7/10