There are plenty of reasons for someone to show another person some photos. The trick is to find a way to do it that isn’t incredibly boring. The folks at ImageAMMO, LLC are aware of this issue and have come up with their own app to combat the problem: the aptly named ImageAmmo.

ImageAMMO allows users to display and peruse their image library using a number of 3D interfaces. These shapes range from spirals to cubes, and they can manually sift through everything or start a slideshow as they see fit. The app automatically incorporates the iOS device’s library so there’s practically no setup involved. It also supports external displays, so users with a VGA adapter (or AppleTV and AirPlay) and monitor can create presentations that are much more interesting than the norm.

The developer has also adapted the software for music libraries. IA Jukebox gives users the option to shuffle through their music libraries in much the same fashion as the photo app. Album covers reconfigure themselves on the screen to create interesting shapes, and calling up a particular song is as simple as tapping the screen a couple of times. I’d think hooking it up to a TV would make selecting background music for a party much more entertaining.

Both ImageAMMO and IA Jukebox are available in the App Store right now for $3.99 and $2.99 respectively. Just think of the presentation possibilities.

$3.99

ImageAMMO

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-11-11 :: Category: Photography

$2.99

IA Jukebox

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-02-13 :: Category: Music

Ridiculous and physically impossible musical instruments, with equally ridiculous and physically impossible names, can only mean one thing: Dr. Seuss. Or in this case, a Dr. Seuss Band.

Players can choose from a set of five different horns, then decide whether they’d like to mess around making their own music or try to go for the high score while recreating tunes from one of ten original songs from Hop on Pop to The Cat in the Hat. The sounds each horn makes can be tweaked by adding bizarre attechments such as fishbowls and train whistles, which fits right in, honestly. It’s even possible to exchange various horn parts to create some truly weird… things that make noise.

This suitable-for-all-ages piece of musically interactive childhood has just recently seen a price drop, so now anyone can compose their own Seussian melodies on their iOS device for free. Sounds awfully tempting…

$0.99

Dr. Seuss Band

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-12-08 :: Category: Games

The concept behind the Hello Music website is a simple but brilliant one: provide members with information regarding all manner of deals and sales, on all kinds of musical goodies. The Hello Music app does pretty much the same thing, only on iOS. In other words, with an account on the website and the app on a phone, anyone looking for great deals is covered.

The site, and by extension the application, will per-negotiate discounts on a set (and limited) quantity of various items. These range from tangible objects such as amps, pedals and such, to less tangible things like studio time. Since quantities are limited the deals don’t last long (usually around 48 hours), but with a handy-dandy iOS app to monitor these deals on the go it becomes much less of an issue.

Setting up an account on the website is free. The app is free. Suffice it to say, any musicians with even a little interest in savings (and an iPhone, of course) need to take a look at this.

FREE!

Hello Music

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-12-16 :: Category: Music

I won’t pretend to be a legitimate guitarist, because I’m most certainly not, but Perfect Guitar Song Book seems like a very useful app for those that are. It’s got all of the usefulness of an entire library of tablature, but none of the mess or back-breaking physical requirements that come with lugging it around. Of course, that’s what roadies are for, right?

It’s not all about portability, though. Perfect Guitar Song Book can also be used to grab and format notes and lyrics from any number of websites directly through the app. The text and fonts can also be tweaked to allow for easier reading, then saved for later use. Favorites can be exported into various formats (.PDF, Chord Pro, etc…), which I can see being a big deal for potential song writers.

The app also offers the useful hands-free option of scrolling via shaking. So if someone’s presumably in the middle of playing they don’t have to stop in order to “turn the page” as it were. The app also supports TV-Out, so with the proper cables a user could easily put the song up on a big screen for the rest of their band-mates/friends to use as a guide.

If Perfect Guitar Song Book sounds like a great idea, then feel free to go and grab it off of the App Store. It’s available right now for $3.99 for all major iOS devices.

$4.99

Perfect Guitar Song Book

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-09-12 :: Category: Music

Everyone does it. They’re sitting there listening to music, doing whatever else while the sweet melodies relax or empower them, and then they get The Urge. Suddenly, it becomes extremely important to let other people know what they’re listening to. I can’t even begin to explain this phenomena but it’s a real thing and it happens all the time. Thanks to James Shaw, the 16 year-old app wiz, the process will be getting even more streamlined.

MusicTweet is an app designed to do just that: tweet music. When a user starts up the app, it will automatically find the song and album information on what they’re currently listening to. When the tracks change, it’ll track down the info for the new one, too. From there it’s simply a matter of tapping the “Tweet” button. The app will automatically add the title, artist and other miscellaneous bits. Tracks can be changed in-app, along with the volume, so there’s little reason for tweet-happy music lovers to not keep it running all the time.

MusicTweet is available on the App Store now for $0.99.

$0.99

MusicTweet

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-11-29 :: Category: Social Networking

Show of hands, who here sometimes likes to blow across the top of a bottle to make that vaguely musical sound? Okay, good. Another show of hands, who here either has or has considered amassing several of these bottles filled with various amounts of liquid and recreating a real song? Interesting. Well then, have a gander at Bottle Tunes.

Bottle Tunes is pretty much what I just described, only with digital representations of bottles and music rather than physical ones. Although there’s a little more to it than that. Sure it’s possible to fill up some bottles and go to town, and even save tunes for replaying or editing later, but there’s also a bit of a game here. Namely, users can adjust fluid levels and attempt to recreate a specific “bottle-themed” song.

I imagine the market for something like this is a little limited, but then again the appeal of magic bottle music is fairly universal. Plus it’s totally free, so why not download and play around with it?

FREE!

Bottle Tunes

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-09-22 :: Category: Games