| |
Christmas is very nearly upon us and with it, the time of year where we all eat too much and enjoy relaxing with our families. While I’m lucky that I have no significant food allergies or special dietary needs, much of my extended family isn’t so fortunate. Various meals have to be adjusted accordingly for those with allergies, intolerances or medical conditions that restrict what can be eaten. Here’s a look at four of my favorite apps for making finding relevant recipes a little simpler.
Allergy Free Entertaining
Covering most of the bases, Allergy Free Entertaining isn’t quite as perfect as its name suggests but it does a good job, regardless. The app offers 124 recipes, each with gluten free options and ways to substitute ingredients for those who have a dairy, egg, wheat or nut free requirements. Each recipe is easy to read through and understand, plus there’s a comprehensive search facility for those after inspiration.
$2.99  + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-02-27 :: Category: Lifestyle 21-Day Vegan Kickstart
Aimed at those who are starting out on the path to Veganism, 21-Day Vegan Kickstart also offers some handy ideas for those trying to cater to vegans’ needs. Divided up according to meal type, it’s simple to check for ideas for breakfast, lunch or dinner. In each case, there are some delicious ideas, whether you’re a Vegan or not. Attractive photography rounds things off nicely.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-09-09 :: Category: Healthcare & Fitness So Simple Gluten Free Recipes
It’s not quite the most attractive of apps to look at, but So Simple Gluten Free Recipes offers plenty of recipes for those suffering from a gluten intolerance. Including over 75 recipes, there’s a particularly great Holiday themed section ensuring that there are plenty of cookie and cake based ideas that are perfect for everyone, not just those on a gluten free diet.
$1.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-08-04 :: Category: Lifestyle iCookbook Diabetic
Diabetics have a particular challenge on their hands, having to juggle their sugar levels so carefully. iCookbook Diabetic offers a selection of free recipes for users to read through, as well as the option to spend money for the full selection. Each recipe is attractive and easy to browse through, with AirPrint support and voice commands make things all the more convenient. Best of all, though, the recipes are high quality and the kind of thing that ensures that no diabetic feels like they’re missing out this Holiday season.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-11-13 :: Category: Lifestyle
Were you one of the lucky people to pick up a shiny new iPad Mini? Wondering what gaming delights are worth buying for it? There’s a whole bunch. You’re going to have an awesome time discovering them. To start you off, though, we’ve rounded up our four favorite titles that should give you a great idea of just how many hours of quality gaming can be had on the iPad Mini.
Fieldrunners 2
It’s a personal favorite of mine mostly because it’s so darn addictive. Fieldrunners 2 is the creme de la creme of tower defense gaming, offering just enough challenge to keep you playing while still always feeling inviting. This is thanks to its wide selection of difficulty levels, mission types and a trickling of new towers and power-ups that can be unlocked throughout. There’s hours of fun to be had. It looks stunning, too.
$4.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-09-13 :: Category: Games SpellTower
Be warned, SpellTower is going to cut into your productivity levels. That five minute session will turn into hours, easily. Players simply swipe words together with extra points gained for using bonus tiles and creating long words. It’s a simple Boggle style idea but one that’s perfectly implemented. Five different game modes, including local multiplayer, will hook you in for a long time to come.
$1.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-11-17 :: Category: Games Bumpy Road
Bumpy Road is an adorably, charming endless runner style game. Players must clear the path and keep the road bumping along in order to keep an ageing couple safe on their journey down memory lane. The further you play, the more you discover things about the couple and their family. It’s that sweet and delightfully heart warming.
$2.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-05-19 :: Category: Games Real Racing 2 HD
Consistently on the cutting edge of iOS technology, Firemint’s Real Racing 2 HD demonstrates the power of your iPad Mini while also offering a great racing game. No other game has surpassed it in terms of its extensive career mode, impressive visuals and use of licensed cars. And? If you have an Apple TV, you can zap the gaming up to the big screen in your living room. There’s multiplayer functionality available, too, to seal the deal.
$6.99 iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-03-11 :: Category: Games
In keeping with the recent mass transit theme, this Favorite 4 is all about maintaining personal space. While many of us might enjoy occupying our commute time with bird-flinging or hack n’ slash action this can sometimes invite some unwanted attention. Lining up that final shot can be difficult enough without some complete stranger leaning over us and watching our every move. This is where games that appear uninteresting, but are actually quite fun, can come in handy.
Organ Trail:Director’s Cut
Like it or not, a number of people dislike “retro” visuals. Whether it’s a general lack of appreciation or some self-imposed snobbery depends on the individual, but regardless not everyone thinks pixels are neat. It frustrating, sure, but it can also mean the difference between someone you don’t know trying to awkwardly start up a conversation on the bus about the game you’re playing and being left alone.
$2.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-08-09 :: Category: Games Mission Europa
I’ve gone on at length about how much I love Mission Europa, and also about how downright ugly it is. But that’s the “beauty” of it. It’s a fantastic action RPG with some incredibly deep and rewarding systems, but it looks so bizarre and low tech it won’t draw much attention from the guy standing in the doorway just over your shoulder.
$4.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-03-15 :: Category: Games $1.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-03-16 :: Category: Games DragonSlasher
DragonSlasher is another game with visuals that belie a much more complex experience. It looks like a simple action game with solid color cutouts for characters. It’s most definitely not much to look at and at best might draw a curious glance or two for a moment before any would-be gawkers shift their attention elsewhere. And while they’re busy reading some other poor commuter’s newspaper, you get to enjoy what is essentially a side-scrolling portable Demon’s Souls in peace.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-04-02 :: Category: Games Game Dev Story
This really applies to all Kairosoft games but I wanted to stick with the one we all fell in love with first. Although it’s certainly cute to look at and sports some pretty colorful visuals, Game Dev Story is only really interesting when you’re playing it. Watching it, especially when you have no idea what’s going on, is much less interesting. Which means less random people breathing down your neck and more planning a new console launch.
$3.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-10-09 :: Category: Games
This particular commuter-centric Favorite 4 might lean more to the train side of mass transit than the bus side, but that doesn’t make it any less relevant. Anyone who’s used a commuter train to get to work knows just how noisy they can be. Screeching wheels, blaring overhead announcements, business folk screaming into their cell phones, and so on. That’s why it can be important to have a couple of time-absorbing iOS games that can be enjoyed with or without sound waiting in the wings.
Infinity Blade II
Okay so this might seem like a bizarre choice but there’s logic behind it. Completing Infinity Blade II’s story doesn’t generally take long, and once it’s finished it becomes a kind of meta-game about loot grinding. Not much call for atmospheric music and sword clangs there. Besides, the developers themselves suggest that turning off the sound can even improve performance on older devices. Bonus!
$6.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-12-01 :: Category: Games Hook Worlds
Rocketcat’s refinement of their hook-swinging formula is a fantastic “endless runner” kind of game that offers up four unique variations on the formula. While the music and sound effects are certainly top notch it’s the one-of-a-kind visuals and character design that really make these worlds feel complete.
$0.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-12-16 :: Category: Games Wizorb
I still think combining brick-breaking with RPG elements is ingenious. Doing so with a fantastic 16-bit retro aesthetic is even more brilliant. With or without the sound muted it’s a treat to play, but without the sound it gives us the added benefit of not getting the music stuck in our head for the whole day.
$2.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-08-03 :: Category: Games Legends of Yore Full
This cute and simple-looking Roguelike is actually much more complex than it first appears. It’s even got pets! However none of its complexities involve the audio, which is about as simple as one would expect given the visuals. Relevant to the pixilated theme, yes. Necessary to enjoy the all the massive amounts of content, no.
$1.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-06-09 :: Category: Games
Anyone who takes the bus, train, or subway to work has had this problem at least a few times: You’re in the middle of a game and before you know it you’ve arrived at your stop. You hurriedly close out the game, turn off the screen, stuff the iPhone into your pocket and bolt out the door. Once you have a moment to start it back up you realize that your progress has been wiped. Bummer. If only there were some iOS games that allowed players to save whenever they wanted!
Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer
Ascension was quite honestly the first deck-building game I’d ever played, and it totally made me fall in love with the concept. I also fell in love with the way it saves all the time. No prompts and no menus to browse. The game automatically saves progress at the start of each hand, and it can do so for multiple games whether they’re solo or against other players.
$4.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-06-29 :: Category: Games Solitaire by Backflip
I’ll admit that most solitaire iOS games will keep track of a player’s progress at all times, but I like Backflip’s offering so that’s what I’ve decided to go with. Again, there’s no need to do anything in order to save a game and come back to it later. Simply exit the game and the next time it’s started up things will be just as you left them; most likely a step or two away from failure and needing to start another round.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-08-18 :: Category: Games Aliens Versus Humans
It’s an homage to one of the greatest strategy games of all time, and it faithfully reproduces many of the mechanics that even the new contemporary remake has done away with. But more important than that – and the sheer enjoyment of fending off an alien attack without losing a single soldier – it allows players to save their game at any time. Whether they’re in the middle of a mission or on the Geoscape, opening up the options menu and quickly saving progress is always an option. Reloading after getting a soldier named after loved one killed is also just as fast.
$2.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-11-24 :: Category: Games Junk Jack
Aside from the fantastic art style and clever adaptation of the block/world-building ideas popularized by Minecraft, Junk Jack also brings constant saving to the table. Pausing the game saves progress. Quitting the game saves progress. It does prevent reloading after losing some favored items or getting killed, but it also makes hopping off the bus or train in a hurry far less detrimental.
$2.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-11-07 :: Category: Games
There are a lot of folks out there who take mass transportation to work on their daily commute. Kicking back and enjoying your favorite iOS game is easy enough when you manage to nab a seat, but that’s not always an option. In situations like this – one hand gripping a railing for balance, the other attempting to awkwardly handle an iPhone – having a game or two with simple one-handed control inputs can be a godsend. Which is exactly why we’re providing you with a list of some of our favorite iOS games that won’t require you to sacrifice your balance for entertainment.
Tower of Fortune
I’m still somewhat in awe of just how cleverly implemented this RPG/slot machine hybrid turned out to be. I’m also very impressed by just how much fun I’ve had with a game that pretty much boils down to the repeated use of a single button. This reliance on one button for most of the “action” (i.e. spinning) turns out to be a major selling point when you factor in situations that only leave you with the use of a single thumb.
$0.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-04-27 :: Category: Games Puzzle Craft
People like town building and people like matching puzzles. Throw them together and we have an excellent mash-up of genres with the added benefit of being playable in just about any situation. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been stuck on a crowded train and relied on Puzzle Craft’s gloriously simple interface to kill time. It sure has been a lot, though.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-08-16 :: Category: Games The Last Rocket
Looking for a game that can be enjoyed on a crowded bus but offers up a bit more complexity than simply tapping a single button every now and then? How about a complex and rewarding puzzle-platformer about a sentient missile? The beauty of The Last Rocket’s interface is that it’s all gesture-based (tap, swipe, hold, etc) and can be performed on any part of an iOS device’s screen. Making it perfect for holding on for dear life and playing a game at the same time.
$1.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-08-11 :: Category: Games Trigger Knight
Trigger Knight is another game that keeps the interface as simple as possible, thus making it ideal for packed buses and trains. Tapping the screen is all a player has to do in order to play, and it can be tapped anywhere. No buttons and no context sensitive swiping, just tap to activate various items or shops at key moments. Then hope it’s enough to get you to the next “refueling station.”
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-02-15 :: Category: Games
So, there’s a bit of a brouhaha over iOS 6 switching its maps provider from Google Maps to TomTom and other Apple sources. Yes, the 3D flybys in the maps are pretty, but the lack of details once had in Google Maps and loss of transit directions is a backbreaker for some. Sure, Google Maps has a mobile website that can be added as a web app, but maybe it’s time for something all new. Unless or until a separate Google Maps application is released, here’s four fine alternatives for mapping and directions.
HopStop
 Transit directions are notably missing from iOS 6 maps. However, for those needing to get around, HopStop provides valuable directions. Supporting many major North American cities, just choose the starting address, destination, departure/arrival time, and preferred method of transit, and the app provides helpful directions, including alternate arrival/departure times for buses and trains. It even includes some transit options that Google Maps doesn’t, such as suburban Pace buses in the Chicago area.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-02-05 :: Category: Navigation FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-01-20 :: Category: Navigation Waze
 This app uses OpenStreetMap data to power its maps, relying on the free user-supported data supplied to provide reliable up-to-date information, similar to Wikipedia. It uses this data to provide a free turn-by-turn navigation solution. The hook is that data on traffic, accidents, speed traps, and more, is all provided by people also using the app. Simply driving around with the app open can help intelligently detect where rough traffic is based on slower speeds. Waze can even find cheap gas along routes based on user-submitted reports.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2009-08-01 :: Category: Navigation MapsWithMe
 This app offers over 7800 maps of cities and places all over the world, which are all downloaded direct to one’s device. So, where data service is spotty or nonexistent, this app still provides valuable street data along with various locations and landmarks available offline. It’s perfect for the iPod touch and wifi-only iPad. The maps are curated by the development team, including their CEO who wears a sweet hat.
$4.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-04-12 :: Category: Travel MapQuest
 Long before there were Google Maps, there was MapQuest. While The Lonely Island declared Google Maps “The best”, who’s got an app on the App Store now? MapQuest does! Find important places and get turn-by-turn directions using their main app, or use their “Local” app to find the best restaurants and bars based on crowdsourced information. MapQuest is a survivor, and will be around to give us directions when all that’s left is Twinkies and cockroaches!
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-06-11 :: Category: Navigation FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-11-07 :: Category: Travel
Appropriately enough, there’s a practically endless supply of Endless Runners to choose from across the App Store. Which ones are the best and most worthy of your attention, though? We took a look at our favorite 4 in recent times and explain just why they’re worth diving into.
Solipskier
Solipskier has been quite a hit both commercially and amongst the developer crowd. It’s not strictly an Endless ‘Runner’, instead focusing on skiing but it is fantastic fun. Players must draw the ski slopes while picking up speed and completing some impressive jumps and tricks. It also offers some innovative and memorable music thanks to a feature that means music ‘pops out’ when skiing fast, adding to the sense of speed as you solely hear the sound effects rather than soundtrack for a time.
$0.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-08-12 :: Category: Games Tiny Wings
Yes, it’s nearly as huge as Angry Birds (and continues the bird theme well) but it’d be impossible to not mention Tiny Wings when rounding up the best Endless Runners. All about flying endlessly, players control a cute bird as they bounce across many hills. One tap is all that’s needed to control momentum with numerous challenges encouraging players to improve for next time. The latest update included an extra mode for even more fun. It’s a wonderfully calming yet gripping experience.
$0.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-02-18 :: Category: Games One Epic Knight
One of the more recent entries to the genre, One Epic Knight combines dungeon crawling with endless running, pitting a knight against a never ending dungeon as he attempts to collect up all the loot, clear the evil creatures and dodge some fearsome traps. Swipe controls ensure none of this feels too complicated and it’s a great change of pace for a normally predictable genre.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-08-23 :: Category: Games Ski Safari
Many games have included avalanche chases, Ski Safari focuses solely on this big problem with Sven the skier desperately trying to escape the cavalcade of snow while using animals to help his escape. Each animal offers a different ability to speed Sven up plus a selection of objectives add extra purpose to the game. It’s adorable and addictive in equal measures.
$0.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-04-26 :: Category: Games
Are you ready for some football, in particular the 2012–2013 season of the premier American football league, the National Football League? Well, with the season kicking off tonight with the Super Bowl champion New York Giants playing the Dallas Cowboys, I’ve collected four apps to help make the game-watching and fantasy-football-playing experience better. No matter what, they’re better than the replacement refs are going to be!
 NFL ’12: The NFL’s official app offers video, including a single screen scoreboard of all the week’s games on the iPad. Get score alerts for individual games. See highlights and analysis videos from NFL.com, along with news stories. Is that significant other clueless about sportball, and expects you to leave the house on Sunday afternoons? Or do you live outside your favorite team’s market, and don’t want to pay for Sunday Ticket, which costs about as much as operating J.P. Morgan’s yacht? Then for $29.99, you can listen to every game from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-09-09 :: Category: Sports  NFL Game Rewind: Every fan of their team has plenty of things to say about what they think they saw while watching. However, there’s a reason why NFL coaches don’t eat buffalo wings and drink beer while coaching, because it doesn’t provide them cogent analysis. So sober up, and subscribe to NFL Game Rewind, a service that provides the ability to rewatch past games on a play-by-play basis. The $69.99 subscription offers even coaches’ film, which will provide more in-depth looks at games, with deeper archives available. The $49.99 subscription offers this year’s games, available commercial-free and in condensed forms, to relive games in short time frames.
FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-08-30 :: Category: Sports  Thumb: Fantasy football is an integral part of the football fandom experience. After all, nothing makes a meaningless blowout more exciting than when your wide receiver scores a touchdown in garbage time to win your matchup that week. But deciding who to start is a pain. Why not rely on the wisdom of random internet strangers? Use Thumb’s fantasy football section to post simple thumbs-up-or-down questions on whether someone should be started on your team, and watch as the guy you benched scores 3 touchdowns in one game and the guy you started sets the NFL fumbles record your fantasy team is led to victory by listening to the opinions of others!
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-05-03 :: Category: Social Networking  Fantasy Football ’12: You’re the Ludacris of fantasy football, in that you have fantasy football teams in different area codes, or at least on ESPN, Yahoo, and NFL.com. If only there was one app that could manage teams on all those different sites! There is! Based off of Fantasy Monster, this is designed solely for managing fantasy teams from all across different leagues. Remember, the more fantasy leagues you’re in, the more likely you’ll be able to call yourself a fantasy football champion.
$2.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-07-23 :: Category: Sports $4.99 iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-07-23 :: Category: Sports
Casual gamers need never look far to find a Hidden Object based treat on the App Store. It’s one of the most plentiful of genres with each title involving a series of puzzles and a variety of different scenes to explore. Because there’s so much choice, this seemed like the perfect time for us to round up our four favorite titles and explain just why they’re so great.
Time Trap HdO
Time Trap is a particularly distinctive title thanks to its beautiful if surreal landscapes. Deviating away from more conventional Hidden Object settings, the game sticks with a Sci-Fi post apocalyptic style theme for its suitably long story. Its moodiness juxtaposes with its hidden object ways but that makes it stand out all the more. It gains extra value through its spooky soundtrack.
$0.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-08-20 :: Category: Games Little Things Forever
Little Things Forever is the antithesis of Time Trap. It’s immensely colorful and cheery. There’s no storyline to follow with the focus entirely on solving Hidden Object based puzzles, but there’s plenty of fun within. Players find objects within intricate pieces of artwork, simply for the joy of doing so. The game’s lists are randomly generated, also, so there’s limitless fun to be had.
$2.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-05-31 :: Category: Games Midnight Mysteries: Devil On The Mississippi
The Midnight Mysteries series is great for combining Hidden Object elements with adventure gaming tropes. Devil On The Mississippi offers precisely that. There’s a spooky story to be told but alongside that are plenty of puzzles to be solved and objects to be found. In each case, such interactive elements are some of the finest you can discover within the genre.
$4.99 iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-07-25 :: Category: Games Strange Cases: The Lighthouse Mystery
What stands out most about this title is the variety of types of objects to be found. It’s a fairly typical but enjoyable title from Hidden Object experts, Big Fish Games, but it keeps things interesting. Some scenes offer a standard list of objects to find while some offer merely the silhouette or clues to what needs finding. It’ll keep players on their toes but happy.
$4.99 iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-08-15 :: Category: Games
Arguably the biggest and most famous of soccer leagues, the English Premier League begins once more tomorrow with fans eagerly awaiting a season of soccer that will last them until May 2013. Will Manchester City retain the title once more or will Manchester United manage to snatch it from their grasp? Either way, I’ll be keen to see if Swansea City can stay up for another season. We’re celebrating the start of the season by taking a look at the four best apps to use alongside your soccer watching experience.
Caught Offside
Caught Offside has been an immensely popular independent soccer website for a while now and its app supplements matters all the more. It offers a wide variety of content from up to the minute news, video highlights, rumors to in-depth features and analysis. As expected, there are also the all important live scores and stats to keep fans up to date.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-04-13 :: Category: Sports FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-06-10 :: Category: Sports Live Score Addicts
The ideal way to check the latest scores at speed, Live Score Addicts is guaranteed to keep fans up to date on scores for 420 different leagues and cups around the world, as well as the crucial English Premier League. Push Notifications means you’ll never miss a change of score or the presence of an ominous red card. Other information such as substitutions, attendance and even Head2Head comparisons are available.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-02-12 :: Category: Sports Premier League 20 Seasons
Premier League 20 Seasons won’t keep you informed on the latest developments this season but it will give you fantastic insight on the past 20 seasons of the Premier League. The app offers more than 100 classic moments from that time, along with interactive quizzes to test your knowledge of the Premier League. It’s not always perfect at streaming the content but there’s no denying it’s exciting stuff checking back on the iconic moments that have been and gone.
$2.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-04-11 :: Category: Sports FourFourTwo Soccer Stats Zone
Predominantly UK based soccer magazine FourFourTwo has released an app that stat fans will absolutely adore. Soccer Stats Zone doesn’t stop where other apps do, it provides every stat imaginable from passes and tackles completed to a broken down analysis of every single manoeuvre performed during a match. Analysis on how a match has changed after a key incident such as a goal or red card is included as well as player versus player and team versus team comparisons. Your head will explode with facts in no time.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-08-15 :: Category: Sports
Many of us don’t solely game on our iPhones or iPads, we game on consoles and PCs, too. Coinciding with that is one of the most exciting developments when it comes to iOS: apps that tie into other games. Whether it be through providing the latest match statistics while on the move, or through providing a new and cool way of controlling a console, there are some great crossovers going on. We take a look at the four best out there at the moment.
My Xbox Live
My Xbox Live ably demonstrates just how an official app for a console should deal with things. It leaves the currently EU only Official Playstation app behind in terms of functionality. Users can easily track and compare their achievements, change their Xbox Live avatar and check in with friends, all via the app. Most excitingly, iPad users can control their Xbox 360 with the app with media controls as well as access to a quick list of recent console activity.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-12-07 :: Category: Games World of Warcraft Mobile Armory
Despite a lull in subscriber numbers, World of Warcraft has continued to dominate the hearts and free time of many MMO gamers. The Mobile Armory means that even away from your PC, you can’t escape the allure of the game. The app provides a way to view all your characters, along with stats, equipment and achievements. Guild stats and the in-game calendar are also viewable, so there’s no excuse to miss that all-important raid. For the aspiring auctioneer, it’s also possible to view how the latest auctions are progressing.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-07-15 :: Category: Utilities Call of Duty Elite
The biggest multiplayer FPS of them all? Maybe. Call of Duty Elite requires an Elite subscription but the app provides a plethora of statistics to make it worthwhile. Users can review recent matches, check how they’re improving over time and what areas of the game they need to work on, such as if they excel at a particular weapon or not. It’s also possible to view and edit custom classes, ready to implement when you’re back in front of a console or PC.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-01-10 :: Category: Games Halo Waypoint
Another hugely popular multiplayer FPS is Halo. Unlike Call of Duty, there’s no need for a separate subscription, users can dive right into Halo Waypoint. The app provides similar stats, offering game history breakdowns, campaign progress, weapon stats, as well as overhead views of all the maps. Challenges can also be created and tracked from the app, making it an ideal tool to dabble in during a lunch break.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-12-10 :: Category: Games
In the world of couture it’s already Fall/Winter 2012-13, but here in reality, summer is hot – literally. With the season came Time Warner to Newsstand, which got us poking through their offerings and finding ourselves drawn to lighter beach fare like fashion magazines. This week we look at our favorite four fashionista periodicals for those planning what to wear now and to see what’s on the catwalk for Autumn.
ELLE
ELLE US has couture, trends, and very readable articles. On top of the high-end glossy magazine, there are some really cool features. Enjoy an ELLE “Personal Stylist” – just upload your image and try on looks directly from the app. There is also a great Inspiration Board where you can put your favorite pieces to create a digital, sharable collage – perfect for Pinterest. The July issue just came out and features a look at Selena Gomez in a TDF top, a huge spread on instant outfits for any occasion, and a guide to vacation dressing and packing.
FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-09-25 :: Category: Lifestyle
Vogue
This venerable Conde Nast publication, Vogue, made its iPad debut in May and each issue is packed with all the great fashion and articles you’ve come to expect on top of some cool interactive features including videos. The July issue has a fantastic one of Emma Stone doing a special photo shoot where she reveals her “vampy” side and talks about her role in the latest Spiderman summer blockbuster. This issue also looks at what every girl needs on her summer fashion checklist and peeks down the runway at the haute-couture for fall.
FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-02-16 :: Category: Entertainment InStyle
We were happy to see Time Warner bring InStyle to Newsstand. The magazine is a fresh lighter look at fashion. The monthly has lots of tips on how to get the hottest styles for less, and how to put them together to make eyes pop and jaws drop when you make your entrance. The new July issue downloads really quickly, has stories on Salma Hayek and Justin Bieber, great hot weather makeup looks and tips, and over 150 “chic steals” to love for under $50. Oh, there’s also some frozen treats that would make any “it” girl want to risk the calories.
FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-12-12 :: Category: Lifestyle NET-A-PORTER
NET-A-PORTER, from the website of the same name is a weekly that’s part magazine, part shopping portal and part fashionista web haven. The app is simple to use, and full of great looks. This week, the editors have an article on the hottest one-piece swimwear. Check out Issa London by Daniella Helayel (of Kate Middleton now Duchess of Cambridge’s engagement dress fame), who reinvents mod on the runway. Then, after drooling and possibly buying, go discover the secrets of the summer sundress. The best part of the app is that you can touch on an item to get more details, the price, and purchase your must-haves right from your lap.
FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-07-21 :: Category: Lifestyle
In a matter of weeks, one of the biggest soccer tournaments out there begins: Euro 2012. Qualification is over and 16 European teams are all lined up to prove which one is the best of the bunch. As a Brit, I’m ever hopeful that England will achieve glory but regardless of what happens, I’ll be enjoying seeing some high quality action. In honor of such good times ahead, we thought we’d take a look at the four best apps out there to use alongside the tournament.
Total Euro 2012
We might have covered Total Euro 2012 previously but it’s unparalleled in what it offers and deserves mention again. The app offers pretty much everything any soccer fan could want during the tournament. Detailed statistics on every player are offered, along with past performance analysis. This will all tie in perfectly with the app’s future live updates, formations and live commentary that will be offered with every match during Euro 2012. Arguably, fans won’t need another app when they have this.
$0.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-05-09 :: Category: Sports Football Attack Euro 2012
Soccer fans love to discuss with friends just what they think the score will be in each match. Heck, we’ve all been there. I always have a competition with a friend every tournament where we predict each match and whoever gets the most right, wins a prize. Football Attack Euro 2012 is the internet based equivalent using Facebook accounts to collate everything. It’s simple yet immediately appealing to groups of fans.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-03-28 :: Category: Games Official UEFA EURO 2012 app
For obvious reasons, UEFA is guaranteed to have the most reliable information on all things Euro 2012. Official UEFA EURO 2012 app keeps all that knowledge on an iOS device with the latest articles and news, as well as a calendar, group standings and lineups. Personalized alerts can be set up so users can see all the news about their favorite team quickly. Highlight clips and video interviews are set to be included during the tournament.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-04-23 :: Category: Sports Euro 2012 Football Quiz
Think you know everything about football and the Euros? Euro 2012 Football Quiz tests this knowledge with 500 questions on the tournament. Everything from fixture dates to memorablia questions are asked here and it’s a fun way of learning some new facts.
$0.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-04-13 :: Category: Sports
This week at 148Apps.com, writer Lisa Caplan helped all of us out by providing her Favorite Four apps for Mother’s Day. Caplan says, “Mother’s Day means so many different things to so many different people that it’s hard to create a list of just four apps for the occasion. There are great gifts to purchase right from iTunes and the App Store, and tons of apps to help you find the right present. But we decided to keep the focus on free or inexpensive apps that will make moms feel special this Sunday and leave them with more than a memory to treasure all year long.”
See the full list of suggestions at 148Apps.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-01-20 :: Category: Utilities And what’s Mother’s Day without children? GiggleApps appeals to the younger crowd with a review of Color Dots. Reviewer Amy Solomon writes, “Color Dots is a bright and fun universal application that the youngest of app users will enjoy. Color Dots is very simple and is geared towards babies and toddlers as colored dots are popped with a tap of a finger as they move around the screen.”
Read Amy’s full review on GiggleApps.com.
$1.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-03-14 :: Category: Education  148Apps.biz reporter Kevin Stout writes about the latest research into American app spending habits: “International market research firm Newzoo has just released a report concerning mobile gaming in the U.S. The report claims that the amount of American mobile gamers has risen by over 25 million gamers in the last year and the number of paying players has gone up to 36% of all mobile gamers.”
Read more about this research on 148Apps.biz.
And that’s the week that was! Join us here next week for another quick recap, but until then make sure you check out our Twitter and Facebook feeds for the latest news, reviews and contests. Now go see Dark Shadows and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Cinco de Mayo, the celebration of the Mexican victory over the French in the 1860s, has increasingly become a celebration in America as well as Mexico. Check out our favorite four for celebrating Cinco de Mayo including apps on food, dancing, and history.
Rick Bayless: Mexican Essentials
Good Mexican food is the first thing that comes to mind for Cinco de Mayo. I remember sneaking into Spanish class one year in high school on May 5th to steal some food (I was in French). Rick Bayless: Mexican Essentials is a cookbook app that also contains instructional videos by award-winning chef and Mexican cuisine master, Rick Bayless. The app not only contains Rick’s 35 essential Mexican recipes, but also 40 videos on his tricks and techniques, 32 key ingredients with advice on how to buy and use them, a shopping list aggregator, and social media sharing. I think I’m going to give the Tortilla Soup a try this year.
$2.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-04-25 :: Category: Salsa Fresca HD
Keeping up with the food theme, what’s Cinco de Mayo without some good salsa? Salsa Fresca HD is an iPad cookbook with various recipes for salsa. There are all kinds of salsa types included in the app like tomato, corn, bean, and more. Each salsa recipe is accompanied by a picture and suggested “good with” ideas. It even contains tips and tricks on how to perform various salsa-related tasks like roasting tomatoes and rehydrating chiles.
$2.99 iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-09-16 :: Category: Pocket Salsa
Another salsa app? Not quite. We’re still on salsa, but this time we’re talking about dancing. There are Cinco de Mayo celebrations all over the world and most consist of dancing as well as food. Pocket Salsa is a portable salsa instructor. For partiers looking to learn to salsa dance before their favorite Cinco de Mayo celebration, this app includes 150 video salsa lessons, salsa rhythms, a salsa podcast, and even more videos through in-app purchases. The app even has AirPlay support to watch the lessons right on a TV.
$3.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-05-13 :: Category: Lifestyle Cinco de Mayo: The Battle of Puebla
It can’t hurt to brush up on the history of Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo: The Battle of Puebla provides users with a detailed video on both the Battle of Puebla, the military victory that led to the traditional celebration on May 5th, and the history of the celebration of Cinco de Mayo. The videos include accompanying text for users impatient users that want to read ahead. The app also includes two games, a quiz and a paint game, that can be unlocked for an in-app purchase of $0.99. But the app is free and so are both videos.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-06-28 :: Category: Education
For those in the Northern hemisphere, Spring is here which means sun, less rain and snow and more plant growth out in the garden. This makes it an ideal time to round up our favorite four gardening apps. Each is an app that will help keen gardeners keep their land in check, whether it be by providing guides to fruit and vegetables or by helping users plot out their garden.
iVeggieGarden
Aiming to be an all round solution for gardeners, iVeggieGarden offers reference and planning tools as well as a means of tracking things. There’s even a means in which users can enter their own notes and photos of how things are progressing. Over 50 different vegetables and over 500 different varieties are catered for with a plethora of information from appropriate temperatures and planting depths to harvesting tips. The app should cover all the key questions that both novice and experienced gardeners may have and it’s all done in a very attractive format.
$0.99 $9.99
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-12-21 :: Category: Reference Vegetable Garden
Similar to iVeggieGarden but for those on a budget, Vegetable Garden offers growing tips, soil preparation advice and a schedule chart for vegetables. It’s geared towards the UK market in terms of growing times but everything else is universal. A plot planner helps users plan out their garden, no matter how big or small.
$2.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-02-15 :: Category: Reference Gardening Toolkit HD
An iPad exclusive, Gardening Toolkit HD uses the extra screen space to create an appealing way of tracking everything to do within the garden. A notes section helps users keep track of what they need to do and when. There’s a colorful and photo-packed encyclopaedia of more than 1000 plants. For the US users, they can enter their zip-code and be informed of how hard their soil is, plus there’s information on suggested plants for the area. It’s an all round attractive reference tool.
$3.99 iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-06-23 :: Category: Lifestyle Harvest – Select the Best Produce
Harvest provides a guide to how to pick the best produce by offering tips and techniques of exactly how to look for the ripest and healthiest fruit or veg. It’ll be ideal once keen gardeners have already grown their crop. A large variety of different produce is catered for, each with their own bunch of tips and tricks that are impressively educational. The app follows such tips up with information on pesticide residue levels which can help those who still buy from stores, but why would you want to do that once you’ve finished growing your own, anyhow?
$1.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-07-01 :: Category: Reference
February is Black History Month in the US. It’s a time to reflect on the past of a people who have journeyed from slavery to the Oval Office and look at the heroes, sung and unsung, who made the transformative journey possible. It is also a time to look forward, for people of all races and ideologies, and to continue the quest for true racial equality in America. Apps are great educational tools so we’ve collected our favorite four that look backwards and forwards at this epic struggle to show by word and deed that all men – and women – are indeed created equal. If we missed an essential please let us know in the comments.
Then and Now Series: Black History
A look at the lives of 100 historically important Black people in a simple easy-to-use app, Then and Now Series: Black History focuses on the people behind the struggles and successes. Seek out more information on the names you’d expect to find or browse to discover lesser known, but equally important, figures from Black History. The app also allows users to print or share their discoveries with anyone who also wants to learn more.
$1.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-08-11 :: Category: Education Black History In An Hour
While Black History In An Hour is long overdue for an update it still allows those who want to learn more without investing too much time to get the most important facts on the most salient topics. This app goes beyond the US to the rest of the West and into Africa, but it focuses mostly on key events in the history of African Americans particularly during slavery. It’s not meant to be a comprehensive eBook, just a starting point for discussion or further study.
$2.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-10-08 :: Category: Education Black History Facts
Another basic guide, Black History Facts does not focus on the struggle for racial equality in the US alone, but rather explores Black History from around the world. The app offers over 530 snippets of information including 15 that were added as recently as january of this year. The app’s stated purpose is to foster deeper inquiry and provoke discussion.
$0.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-12-15 :: Category: Entertainment The Root for iPad
Brought to iPad by The Washington Post and The Root, The Root for iPad looks not at black history as recorded in the annals, but black history in the making. This app aggregates relevant web news as well as curated commentary from highly respected African American writers. The app tackles the current implications of race in American society and myriad related issues. It even has podcasts on hot topics. The newest of the apps on this list, it’s optimized for iOS 5 and incorporates a host of sharing features to spread the best stories around the web via social media to open debate… and minds.
FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-12-18 :: Category: News
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Families gather, feast, celebrate and then get ready for a Black Friday shopping bonanza. The hottest deals mean the biggest crowds will be mobbing stores. With this celebration of conspicuous consumption putting huge pressure on holiday shoppers in a tough economy, how does one find the very best deals? Well, an iPhone loaded with the right apps can make things a lot easier. This week we look at our four favorites for saving time and money.
TGI Black Friday
Powered by two major shopping resources, TGIblackfriday.com and DealCatcher.com, TGI Black Friday is the go-to app for finding the best bargains from the biggest chains like Walmart, Kohls, Best Buy, Target, Old Navy and far too many more to list. The updates come fast and furious and users can see all the Black Friday deals well before they bulk up the morning paper. Push notifications alert shoppers to new deals, users can compare prices and share finds on Facebook and Twitter.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2009-11-19 :: Category: Lifestyle Red Laser
Finding good deals is awesome. Finding great ones is even better. One thing brick and mortar retailers are worried most about this year is what impact mobile devices will have, even in the check out line. Price-matching offers used to be taken up by only a few, but now with bar code scanners, shoppers can quickly scan the items unique product number and Red Laser will find them all the competing offers, many of which are online. That means while standing in a three-hour check-out queue one can just pop out an iPhone, find a better deal online and have it paid for and on its way before they move forward a single inch.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-11-02 :: Category: Utilities Black Friday App
Black Friday App provides the same basic features as TGI Black Friday, and many of the stores and deals are the same, but there are retailers one app carries that the other doesn’t. This app doesn’t just look for deals in physical stores, but online-only bargains, too, so consider it another tool in the arsenal.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-09-08 :: Category: News TGI Cyber Monday
Just as in-store bargains are selling out, online retailers pick up the slack. The new mega-shopping day has become known as Cyber Monday. TGI Cyber Monday, from the same folks as TGI Black Friday, again helps consumers sort through the best deals – this time from all the major online retailers.
FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-11-08 :: Category: News
Last week we looked at the best camera replacement apps for the iPhone native app. So, this week we wanted to continue the theme, this time looking at apps that focus on adding those ever-popular effects and filters. Many of the choices feature a camera replacement component, but all do unique things to produce end results that are anything but the average cell camera shot, no matter how high the resolution. All of these apps will make even casual photographers look like virtual experts.
Instagram
Instagram is all about effects and sharing and it’s completely free. This long-time user favorite allows shutter bugs to shoot right from the app or use existing images in the photo album and easily add custom filters. Most photo apps have social media integration but Instgram can actually be classified as a social networking app. Users can share on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr, but also less common options ike Posterous and Foursquare and even has a huge community that interacts with likes and comments.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-10-06 :: Category: Photography 360 Panorama
For panoramic images 360 Panorama is our choice. This universal app allows users to take ad then patch together photos seamlessly to create breath-taking immersive images. The app uses the gyroscope to give users a full 360 view and stitches the images with amazing speed.
$0.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-07-30 :: Category: Photography Pro HDR
For truly detailed images, high dynamic range photography (HDR) is the way to go. Pro HDR takes a lot of the hassle out of getting the images to look sharp and brilliant in all conditions. This app takes multiple pictures of the same thing with different settings to highlight or fix specific areas and them merges them together. The results are near 8 mega-pixel image quality. This is the only HDR camera app that automates the process, but for those with advanced photography skills there is also a manual option for setting exposure of the images that will make up the final composition.
$1.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2009-12-21 :: Category: Photography Hipstmatic
For vintage effects like we got in the 1970′s with plastic encased toy-like cameras which gave very analog results, Hipstamatic is the go-to app for iPhone photographers. It uses what were once considered flaws – like overexposure, odd colour balance and blurring – to create photos with an authentic feel. The app comes with 10 effects for the initial price and five additional effects packs can be purchased in-app. Hipstamtic features a lot of social network integration as well.
$1.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-12-09 :: Category: Photography
Sudoku has become as popular as crossword puzzles and iOS devices of all sizes make ideal companions for this particular brand of endless (and paperless) number puzzle solving. With so many Sudoku games on the App Store, finding the one that fits best can be as big a puzzle as the game itself. So we’ve collected our four favorites for you here. Did we miss yours? Please let us know.
Sudoku 2 Pro
Classic Sudoku has a great uncluttered look and comes with a special scoring system that lends itself well to Openfeint leaderboards. In this version of the game a win counts only if the puzzle was solved with less than three mistakes and easy levels must be solved before unlocking harder ones.
$2.99 iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-08-23 :: Category: Games $2.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-06-03 :: Category: Games FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-05-07 :: Category: Games : ) Sudoku +
This Sudoku game has a full 16 levels of difficulty all of which are unlocked from the start. This version has a “multi-stage hint system” where first the game just reminds a puzzler to double check a square followed by more clues up to a complete illustration of how the puzzle should be solved. The standout feature for us is that : ) Sudoku + allows users to enter puzzles from any print source for endless portable solving.
$2.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2008-07-23 :: Category: Games FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2008-08-02 :: Category: Games Big Bad Sudoku Book
Apple’s choice for their Game Starter Kit, Big Bad Sudoku Book has an intuitive interface, allows background apps to run, and like >Sudoku there is a scoring system, but here the leaderboards are on Game Center. Its key feature is “highlights” which allows players to highlight rows, a specific number on the grid, or whatever helps focus attention on problem areas. Challenge mode is particularly fun with 50 increasingly difficult puzzles that must be unlocked sequentially.
$0.99 $1.99
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-04-01 :: Category: Games Social Sudoku
The classic with a great twist, Social Sudoku, as the name implies allows solvers to compete against one another via Game Center. There is even a cooperative mode for solving together. In both cases both players see the same puzzle and solve in sync. This game contains six different versions of Sudoku from Classic to Killer to Kakuro.
$1.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-12-21 :: Category: Games
Last week we looked at apps that help manage weight by offering simple tools to get nutritional information. In keeping with that healthy theme, this week we look at recipe apps for those seeking to add more veggies to their diets, for vegetarians and even for vegans. These apps are full of healthy and tasty choices for anyone looking to make a change to, or maintain a healthy lifestyle with the help of their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.
Vegetarian How to Cook Everything
Part of the wildly popular How To Cook Everything series, this cookbook, written by Mark Bittman, offers over 2000 recipes for delicious meat free dishes – by far the most we’ve found in one app. The emphasis is on great taste, but also keeping it simple. The app includes vegan recipes along with tons of how-to’s, illustrations and planning guides. Easy searching and shopping list creation that can be sent by email make this the ideal choice for anyone, whether a person looking for the occasional veggie pasta dinner or a true tofu addict.
$4.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-04-28 :: Category: Do Eat Raw
There are health conscious meat-avoiders, idealistic vegetarians, hard-core vegans and then there is the raw foods movement. Touted as being not just a way to lose weight and stay fit, but also to increase longevity and health, it may not be for everyone. If raw is on the menu, however, Do Eat Raw is the app to get. The app has over 300 raw vegan recipes along with information on everything from how to dress up a dish to what to drink. The app is divided into sections for easy browsing, and users can rate dishes and see user ratings to see what’s, well, cold?
$0.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-03-17 :: Category: Whole Living Smoothies
Prefer a nice refreshing drink of fruits and veggies to a full-on vegetarian meal? From the kitchen of none other than Martha Stewart herself comes Whole Living Smoothies. Assembled by dieticians, this recipe app comes with 12 Essential Recipes, 12 Meal-in-a-Glass recipes and 12 Allergen-Free recipes. Additional sets for Weight loss, Immunity Boosting and Detox are available as in-app purchases. The app also contains a comprehensive glossary explaining the specific health benefits of the key ingredients, tips on buying organic produce and even email and Facebook sharing.
$1.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-06-06 :: Category: $0.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-07-07 :: Category: Lifestyle Veggie Love Cookbook from Better Homes and Gardens
While not for vegetarians, this app from Better Homes and Gardens provides 50 family-friendly recipes that teach moms and dads how to sneak veggies into everyday food so their kids will get the required servings without having to give up burgers, tacos, pizza or even bacon. This is not a weight-loss cookbook, but with a good search function, cook-together tips to get families interacting and invested in what they eat, a shopping list creator and built-in timer it’s sure to help kids – and parents – get their daily allotment of veggies. And not just by hiding them, but by showing them how fun and tasty they are to cook and eat.
$0.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-06-24 :: Category:
There is a massive industry related to losing weight, but most doctors agree eating healthy foods in moderation along with exercise is the real key to weight loss success. If being healthy, not just thin, is the objective, quick dieting isn’t the answer. The permanent solution lies in making lifestyle changes that last. So we’ve compiled our favourite four apps to help track calories eaten and burned and find comprehensible nutritional information about foods for iPhone to make the journey to fitness a little easier.
Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal
This app boasts the largest database of foods – over a million – and provides a calorie count along with information on fats, protein, sugars, fiber and other nutritional facts. But the app does a lot more. It allows dieters to enter entire meals, or add favorite foods, even recipes for fast access to comprehensive and useable information. The app also includes a web companion to track your food intake online and it syncs with the app. There is a barcode scanner for packaged foods, and even push notifications if a user forgets to log a meal. On the fitness end there are more than 350 exercises included for both cardio and strength training, and the app keeps track of calories expended. Create goals, generate reports and start shedding those pounds.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-12-07 :: Category: Healthcare & Fitness Fooducate Plus
Fooducate is all about helping those on a diet, for weight loss or any health reason, make wise choices at the supermarket. With a database of over 200,000 unique products, this app uses the iPhone camera to scan barcodes and then tells a user about what’s really in that can or box. It will reveal any veiled information from the use of chemical food colorings that may not be safe to excessive trans-fats while also highlighting that item’s health benefits. The app allows for side-by-side product comparisons and even provides healthier alternative suggestions. The free version is ad supported.
$3.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-09-13 :: Category: Healthcare & Fitness FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-11-03 :: Category: Healthcare & Fitness Weightbot – Track your Weight in Style
If regular apps are too lo-tech, how about a weight-tracking robot? Weightbot is weight loss – or gain – for geeks. Users just enter their goal, their current body specs, and the app calculates their BMI and shows progress on a graph. Rotate clockwise to view weight loss progress over time, or turn the iPhone the other way to view the goal and expected arrival date.
$1.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2008-10-16 :: Category: Healthcare & Fitness Dotti’s Food Score
We have apps to count calories in raw foods, packaged products, even favorite recipes, but most of us do a lot of our eating out. Getting the nutritional information from a restaurant menu can be difficult and even embarrassing. Dotti’s Food Score uses information from Dotti’s Weight Loss Zone web site to serve up the skinny on almost 600 restaurants. The app has information on the most popular food chains, gets regular updates, and is particularly well integrated with the Weight Watchers program, offering scores based on their program.
$2.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-07-26 :: Category: Healthcare & Fitness
The passing of Labor Day marks the unofficial start of fall. With back-to-school and back-to-serious at work, staying on time is essential. Telling one alarm clock app from another with so many similar names and features, must less finding the best one, can be tricky. So this week we look at our favorite four full-featured alarm clock apps with built-in weather forecasts for this changeable time of year.
Night Stand HD – Alarm
Night Stand HD is a full-featured alarm clock app that has several gorgeous and genuinely unique clock-looks to choose from. Even better this app recently become universal. There are nine clocks designs all of which allow for multiple and recurring alarms, iPod integration to awaken users with music, and it keeps working in the background. Of course, the app displays the current and global current weather and forecast.
$1.99 + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-04-01 :: Category: Utilities FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-08-25 :: Category: Utilities Night Stand for iPad – Social Reader, Weather & Alarm Clock
Night Stand for iPad is the only iPad-only app on the list, but it needs the extra screen room. This is a lot more than a simple flip-style alarm clock. It packs all the features one would expect and global GPS-based weather forecasts with video loops or a photo album slideshow backgrounds. But, that’s the window dressing – what makes this unlike any of the other choices here is the way it integrates easily with a user’s choice of RSS feeds, as well Twitter and Facebook timelines to serve up all the morning’s necessary information at a glance.
$2.99 iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-01-20 :: Category: Utilities FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-02-03 :: Category: Utilities Magic Window
The app is more about style than substance, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a full-featured alarm clock and weather app. It’s filed under entertainment, however, not utilities because it is really like looking out a virtual window at any number of tranquil fully animated displays. 15 gorgeous scenes are included, like sunrise in Costa Rica or sunset in Tokyo and each come with soothing ambient sounds to help lull a user to sleep, not just wake them up. If the 15 included scenes aren’t enough, 30 more are available in bundles for in-app purchase. Magic Window is function meets eye candy, and looks and sounds best on a high-end speaker-dock.
$1.99 $2.99
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-04-21 :: Category: Healthcare & Fitness Lifelike Alarm Clock and Weather HD
For really neat looking clocks including a pair of retrofied dial clocks and maximum iPod integration, Lifelike Alarm And Weather HD is the fun choice. Activate night mode by pulling a curtain, or use the built-in iPod player anytime, with full playlist creation support. With animated real-time weather simulation that works world-wide, a big snooze button and some silly-cute chimes, this one should appeal to the young and young at heart.
$3.99 iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-06-29 :: Category: Travel FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-10-21 :: Category: Weather
One exceptionally handy thing about iOS devices is that they’re so very portable. Even more so than a laptop or netbook. Sure I can take my laptop into the kitchen and place it on the side while I consult it for recipe ideas but my kitchen isn’t big enough to sacrifice a potential preparation area in favour of the laptop. In the case of my iPhone though, I can hold it in one hand while I stir with the other. Ideal! There’s a huge multitude of cookery apps that aim to help or inspire you in the kitchen, but here are my picks of the bunch.
 Around the World in 80 Recipes: This app is gorgeous. It’s the equivalent of that recipe book that might not provide the cheapest or most convenient of recipes, but you’ll love to just virtually flick through it and take in the delights. Offering an old fashioned looking map interface where you choose what country you want to look at according to its stamp, it’s more than just a list of recipes. When you get to the actual recipe, you’re given a gorgeous photo of the food making it look even more appetising and the ingredients and instructions are detailed but not intimidating. An ideal app for the connoisseur who fancies arranging a dinner party.
$1.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-11-16 :: Category: Lifestyle  Easy Cooking: Of course you don’t always want complicated, glamorous meals. Sometimes you just want good, simple food. Easy Cooking offers a whole array of different recipe ideas from the leftover type meals such as Breakfast Casserole to how to cook a good roast chicken. All the steps are easy to understand the addition of a description that suggests what accompaniments would go well with each meal is a great touch. Its New York Cheesecake recipe is particularly delicious!
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-11-15 :: Category: Lifestyle  AllRecipes: Dinner Spinner: Trying to decide what to eat each day can be tough, even if you love cooking. Inspiration isn’t always easy to come by. AllRecipes: Dinner Spinner aims to add some randomness to the equation by coming up with a recipe for you. You can be entirely random or you can focus on certain food types. If for example, you know you fancy having a pasta main dish, select that and the app will come up with loads of suggestions of what you can do. You can even adjust it according to how long you want to spend cooking, making finding quick recipes a much easier task than in other recipe apps. Each recipe is submitted by a regular person rather than a chef so they’re typically very easy to prepare. A load of nutritional information is great too for the health conscious. The only real downside is that recipes aren’t available offline but this isn’t too big a deal if you’re in the house anyway. There’s a Pro version available too which offers a few extra bits and pieces but the Free version will serve you well for a while to come.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2008-12-10 :: Category: $2.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-02-22 :: Category: Cookery School Multi-Timer: Timing is everything with cooking. Being able to cook one thing isn’t that hard, being able to cook a whole meal ensuring that everything’s ready at the same time is the hard part. Multi-Timer goes some way to solving this problem by allowing you to set up numerous timers correlating to the various items that need to go in the oven/on the hob at differing times. You can set it up meal by meal meaning you don’t have to keep re-inputting new information every time. You can simple tap Roast Dinner for instance and it’ll have all your timings there from last time. It’s a huge help made even better by the fact that it’s free.
FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-02-01 :: Category:
This week, February 13-20, Apple launched subscription services for applications, meaning that developers must offer an in-app purchase option if they offer an outside-app purchase option, like a newspaper does through its website. For example, if Company A offers a monthly service charge of $10 for its articles, and it has an application on the App Store, it must now offer that same deal for the same price ($10) or less through its iOS application. Here’s the catch – that $10 is subject to Apple’s 30% commission policy.
“Apple feels as though they are providing lots of new users for these services and Apple wants to be compensated for that. That makes sense. They are providing a service and bringing users to these subscription services, they should be compensated” writes Jeff Scott, Founder of 148Apps. However, he warns that “in the end, it’s going to backfire and we the users are going to lose out” – outlining a number of possible scenarios, one of which is shifting the extra cost of paying commission onto the consumer. So that $10 service would need to rise to $13.33 (30% of $10, plus the original $10) in order for the developer to remain no better or no worse off. And that’s not good for consumers.
In other news, the all-time favourite Angry Birds has reached a new App Store peak: 250 non-consecutive days at the number one spot on the biggest application store the world has ever known. The iOS favourite was launched on December 11 2009 and, in less than six months after its conception, reached the number one spot in Apple’s App Store on April 27 2010. Bonnie Eisenman’s been hard at work, collaborating a myriad of data to produce a pictorial review of its massive success. You can see (and read) all about it right here.
$0.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-12-11 :: Category: Games In other news, this week 148Apps awarded NBA Jam Review 4.5 stars as well as the Editor’s Choice badge for its excellent gameplay and 5 star graphics. “EA has managed to perfectly recreate the NBA Jam experience on a device that was never designed to handle that volume of visual insanity” writes Blake Grundman. “Every dunk, jumpshot and alley-oop runs smoothly and flawlessly, once again raising the bar for gaming on the platform. There is really no amount of praise that can do this game enough justice. It is simply outstanding.”
$0.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-02-10 :: Category: Games But there are many who just don’t find touch screen gaming an equal substitute. “When it comes to iOS gaming, the biggest complaint that continues to come up is the lack of physical controls. While veteran iOS gamers have gotten used to virtual controls, games still often suffer from not having actual physical buttons and joysticks to use” writes Carter Dotson, who goes on to outline a number of solution for hand-using gamers, such as the Fling, JOYSTICK-IT, iCade and iControlPad.
And to wrap up this week, we’ve brought back the much-loved Favorite 4 column. This week, Favorite 4 examines “the finest examples of established gaming franchises making appearances on iOS” – Street Fighter IV, Space Invaders Infinity Gene, NBA Jam and PAC-MAN. Episode 72 of The Portable Podcast is also available to download, featuring your host Carter Dotson and special guest Brett Nolan from AppAddict.
I’ll leave you this week with a glimpse into the future. It has Telltale Games written all over it.
| |
