MemorEYES Review

MemorEYES is the first app from new developer EYES. The aim of the app is to train your memory by looking at a number of letters or paragraphs for a certain amount of seconds — and it certainly works.

First, you have to set the amount of letters you want to try and remember, and for how long they will stay on screen. You can have as little as three letters on a page, up to seven. Speed has a few more variables; you can set the time between 2/100s of a second to five seconds long. A random assortment of letters will then appear on the screen, and you will be coaxed to repeat them again. You must repeat them in the order they appeared. Kind of like an eye test.

There is also a paragraph test, where, after putting in your age, you are left to read a couple of paragraphs at your own leisure. Once done, you are taken through a few questions regarding what you just read, and the app will give you a comprehension rate percentage.

One things for certain anyone can give this app ago, regardless of age or iPhone ability. In some ways, the app is like Brain Training on the Nintendo DS, and it definitely has the same effect after playing it a few times. You will find yourself able to remember longer sequences faster, and create patterns to make it easier to remember. Once the amount is mastered, you can then alter the speed settings.

The graphic are also very clean and bright, but not too fussy. Fortunately for your eyes, the lettering is also nice and bold to make it easier to remember the sequences.

However, this is all the app does. Once you have mastered the letter-guessing half of the app to the best of your ability (it's doubtful there are many out there that can remember seven letter sequences in 2/100 of a second), there's nowhere to go on from there. The paragraph of text and questions asked also never changes, so after a while if you don't learn through honest means, you can probably cheat through repetition.

You might see a reason to go and see what else you could remember though, like cellphone numbers off by heart. The app could be developed further with other memory puzzles relating to imagery or colours for example, which would also extend the longevity of the app as well as interest.

For it's price the family-friendly app is not bad at all, especially as you can actually feel the difference after a while to your memory. The graphics are nicely done and there's little sound to distract you from concentrating; however it is quite a short-lived app. Though for the memory skills you achieve, it's a bargain definitely worth a go.