Tag: Entertainment »

Ever sit in a coffee shop or at work and wonder if there's a good movie showing at the local cinema? Need a good way of checking? Sure there's always looking it up on the internet but how about an app like Showings that is focused purely on cinema related things.

The app allows users to find nearby cinemas and then favorite the ones they regularly go to. It's then just a simple matter of flicking around the app for more information. Users can take a look at the movie poster, cast, a synopsis of the story, Rotten Tomatoes score and in some cases, also a trailer too.

Of course, there's also the all important film showing times too which are clearly laid out for all days of the week.

Showings is a simple app but that's exactly what anyone could want. It gives out the facts quickly and concisely so that users can plan their evening ahead fast.

Showings is out now priced at $0.99.

Plenty of different Booth type apps exist on the App Store but what can I say? Sometimes, the odd Booth app just intrigues me that bit more than the rest. In this case, it's that of Glam Booth.

I'm someone who was too young for the Glam Rock effects of the 1970s and 1980s but that doesn't stop me being a fan of the wild hair and make up. Glam Booth offers a free way of experiencing that by invoking the customary manner of loading up a photo and tapping a few options. Auto cropping of images makes it all the simpler.

It's a free app but with a series of in-app purchases available to unlock new packs such as Glam Rock, Gaga Glam, Glam Rock Girls and Glitz Glam. Completed images can then be shared via email, Facebook or Twitter at the tap of a button.

Glam Booth is a simple yet fun distraction when taking photos out and about this summer. It might not be something that's used all the time but it's a great way of adding some glam to the most mundane of portrait photos.

It's out now and it's a free download.

Wi-Fi has given technology buffs a huge amount of freedom. It's not that long ago that we were all constricted by cables making the likes of video streaming possible but a little awkward and requiring plenty of forward planning. Now we've got the wonders of Wi-Fi and apps like Air Playit.

Air Playit is an app that enables its users to stream any video or audio files that are stored on their PC straight to their iOS device. Video conversion tools mean that video libraries can be converted instantly to a format that iOS devices can read. Users aren't restricted to being on the same Wi-Fi network either with it being possible to set up the server to work across the internet too.

The app also supports Apple TV-Out so that users can stream content to their TV via their iOS device. Options to customize output quality and audio parameters are also available. It's a pretty comprehensive app indeed and one that offers tons of convenience.

Air Playit is out now in iPhone and iPad varieties. Both are free.

The potential benefits that iOS devices can present to toddlers and children cannot be stressed enough. Touch based technology lends itself perfectly to children making their way in this technological world. In the case of The Fairy Tale, it combines traditional storytelling elements with the fun of using an iOS device too.

The app sets out to make reading that bit more enjoyable to youngsters by allowing them to create their own tale. Users can create characters and objects that respond to the touch by either moving or making a noise. As well as that illustrations can be moved, expanded, reduced or rotated with a simple touch.

It all makes for an experience that will feel more realistic to a young child than simply reading stagnant pages of texts and looking at pictures. They can finally interact with the tale.

Once a story has been created, users can then share their creations with others and they can store them on a virtual bookshelf for future reference.

The Fairy Tale is a free app with in-app purchases available for Jack and the Beanstalk and Aladdin and The Magic Lamp priced at $2.99 each.

Anyone who wants to lose weight knows that motivation is the main thing that's needed in order to achieve such goals. How can that motivation be gained, however? While it can all be done internally, sometimes it's useful to have something visual to look at during regular intervals which is exactly where SlimBooth might be of great use.

It's an app that allows users to see a full body picture of how they'd look if they were slimmer. It's quick to implement and can give a great insight into just how they could look if they slimmed down a bit. Once the transformation has taken place, users can then choose to share the results through all the standard social networking options and show off their new potential look.

While SlimBooth makes a point of being primarily an entertainment app rather than anything scientific, it's still a great idea that's bound to appeal to many in need of a bit more motivation.

SlimBooth is out now, priced at $0.99.

Ever wanted to put a face on a coin? Yeah, me neither. It turns out it does look quite cool, though - certainly if new app Coin Booth has anything to do with it.

The app allows users to select a photo from their photo album or take a photo directly, then stick it on top of a coin. Extra options come in the form of being able to pick the coin template from the US dime, the Euro, US dollar and the UK pound with some of these involving in-app purchases or the Coin Booth Deluxe version. Each template offers its own coining and engraving settings to create just the right effect. Plus there's the ability to add any ASCII characters to the coin too.

Once the coin has been created, users can then share it through the regular means of Facebook, Twitter and Email, plus they can flip the coin and play heads or tails.

Two varieties of Coin Booth exist with a free version offering minimal choices and Coin Booth Deluxe enabling users to manipulate all the previously mentioned coin templates. The Deluxe version costs $1.99. Both are available now.

Bruno Bozzetto might not be a name instantly familiar to US audiences but he certainly deserves to be. He's a very sharp witted and sarcastic Italian cartoonist with a background in satirical animated shorts, one of which (Grasshoppers) was a nomineee for the Best Animated Short Oscar in 1990. In recent years, he's switched over to flash cartoons and other web based entries which is how we come to Shake Up Bozzetto.

Shake Up Bozzetto is an app that offers 101 black and white as well as color sketches by Bozzetto. They're all quite simple yet witty, the kind of thing that people would expect in a newspaper. It's much akin to the likes of Garfield but with a bit of an edge to them. The cartoons follow the world through Mr Rossi's eyes, a deeply sarcastic character who enjoys thinking over numerous different universal and timeless themes. Much of the humor stems from observational humor with a welcome dose of cynicism too, just the kind of thing that many can relate to.

The app itself comes in iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad varieties. The iPad version stretching more accurately across the larger screen space. Each app allows for viewing the cartoons either in a linear mode, by simply swiping from side to side. They also allow for a more random mode in which iPad owners touch the screen to find a random selection and iPhone owners can shake their device.

As is often the way with such things, favorites will be quickly determined by Shake Up Bozzetto's readers so it's possible to mark these entries as favorites for easy consultation in the future.

Shake Up Bozzetto looks to be a very entertaining and satirical read, ideal for those looking for a touch of humor to their lives.

It's out now and priced at $0.99 for either iPhone/iPod Touch or iPad varieties.

When I was a kid, all I ever wanted to grow up to be was a member of the Starship Enterprise. Pity that of course it wasn't real and instead part of the iconic TV show and subsequent franchise: Star Trek. I might never get to go up into space or meet any aliens but there is a way for me to have my very own LCARS (an acronym for Library Computer Access/Retrieval System) interface, the one that's so familiar to Star Trek fans having been used in Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets in The Next Generation and subsequent series.

The Star Trek PADD (Personal Access Display Device) offers up a huge interactive database of all things Star Trek. The app is linked to the official StarTrek.com database offering information on all manners of aliens, ships, places, technologies and the ever important episode guide. There are even the familiar computer sound effects and voices that are so memorable from the show.

Users can browse or search to their heart's delight as well as jump to related information through cross-links that are scattered around each entry. There's also the ability to read the latest news from the Star Trek Facebook page as well as the official Twitter feed.

Most thrilling of all for fans are the two diagnostic modes that provide an overview schematic of the U.S.S Enterprise NCC-1701-D.

The database isn't entirely complete but CBS Mobile and ArcTouch promise that there will be updates to add more information, ensuring that fans will always have something new to check out.

Star Trek PADD could have just been a regular database app covering such a memorable show but adding the fan service of the LCARS interface makes it all the more special.

Star Trek PADD is out now for the iPad and priced at $4.99.

Hitting the app store comes Mixcloud, an app that enables users to stream their favorite Podcasts (or Cloudcasts as is more appropriate for the service), DJ Mix sets and radio shows directly to their iOS device. It's an on demand service with a fair amount of choice of Cloudcasts.

For the uninformed, Cloudcasts are extended audio shows that are hosted in the 'cloud' meaning that there's no waiting for things to download like podcasts.

Anyone can create an account and upload their content so it's a great service for those users who want to get their work out there, as well as a fun app for people who just love hearing good music or radio shows.

Currently, there are loads of categories on offer covering all types of music taste as well as talk categories ranging from business and education to news, politics and comedy. Just looking through the Mixcloud website, it's clear that there's something for everyone.

Mixcloud looks set to be a great way of checking out new material without needing to plan ahead like with podcasts.

Check out the video below to learn more about just how it works.

Mixcloud is available now for all iOS devices and it's a free download.

Creating artwork from sand seems to be the new big craze in the arts and crafts world. It's not surprising really as the results are frequently rather beautiful. For those not wanting to dabble with actual sand (which loves to get everywhere in an insidious, never ending kind of way), Sand Pictures enables iPad owners to create their own beautiful landscapes without going anywhere near the real thing.

Sand Pictures promises to offer a realistic simulation of falling sand with nearly 100,000 different particles of sand, all responding to the user's interaction and the power of gravity. Different colored sand grains exist on screen with darker grains falling faster, thus allowing users to create layers within the sand. Different color gradients are also possible with 50 built in choices that can be simply adjusted with the tap of a couple of fingers.

The effects are pretty astonishingly beautiful, immediately making for an app that's ideal for young and old, with only the need for creativity to divide anyone.

Users can push the various sand grains around with their fingers or they can pop bubbles with a simple tap. Bubbles can be further added by holding a finger down in one spot. The aforementioned power of gravity also plays an important role here as users can turn their iPad around, thus adjusting the directions in which the sand fall.

Sand Pictures offers 20 different background landscapes for users to create their own image in front of, and there's always the option of using an image from the user's photo library.

Once the user has created their picture, they can then share these images via Twitter or Facebook, or simply save it to the photo library for future reference.

Sand Pictures is available now for the iPad and it's currently on sale for a limited time, priced at $0.99.

iPad owners will be excited to discover a new way of forming social connections via the fun that can be had watching TV thanks to BeeTV.

BeeTV allows users to share their favorite TV moments as they happen with their friends and others. Users are able to see what their friends are watching at the time, invite them to 'join' them in watching a show and see what hits are currently trending. Users in need of recommendations are also served well here with BeeTV aiding them by offering personalized recommendations based on what they've previously enjoyed.

The app encompasses Twitter and Facebook ensuring that it's easy to see what's going on at any point. Plus users can swiftly find new friends that like the same shows or films as themselves, extending friendships across the globe. Fact fans can also learn more about the show they're watching at the tap of a button and they can receive notifications as to when their favorite shows are coming up next too.

BeeTV is a free app for the iPad and it's available now.