Ruler 2 is a new app from the same folks who brought us the popular book app, Classics. Like Classics, Ruler 2 pays equal attention to form and function; beneath the glossy interface is an easy-to-use ruler, complete with a slider for measurement instead of forcing you to guestimate. The app supports both inches and centimeters, includes a trick for measuring longer objects, and allows you to copy and paste your measurements into apps like Calculator or Mail.

It’s a big step up from the original Ruler: just ask the developers. “Ruler 1.0 was, to put it bluntly, awful, so we burned it to a fine ash and began again,” said co-creator Andrew Kaz. Their hard work seems to have paid off. Ruler 2 is clearly well-thought out, proving that traditional mediums aren’t necessarily the best implementations. In some ways, the iPhone/iPad app is more useful—and certainly more convenient—than a wooden ruler. (I really like that automatic slider. No more guestimation!)

To celebrate Ruler 2’s launch, developers Andrew and Alexa are hosting a contest. Happily, you don’t even have to buy the app, and entering is easy. Prizes include fresh new Apple swag—a 64GB iPod Touch, a 16GB iPod Nano, the new iPod Shuffle, and the new Apple TV. By spreading the word about Ruler 2 via Facebook or Twitter, or by signing up for the email list, you get one entry in the drawing. (For more information, or to enter, go to http://rulerapp.com/.)

Ruler 2 is a great new implementation of a ruler app for both iPhone and iPad, and the contest is just an added bonus – you don’t have to buy Ruler 2 to enter! Check Ruler 2 out on the App Store; the universal version is a mere $0.99.

$2.99

Ruler 2

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-06-03 :: Category: Utilities

There have been a few apps that I’ve picked up that claim to be able to judge the distance from one object to the next, all of which have produced questionable results. The one that I liked the best was Sonar Ruler, but it wasn’t very practical to use, and became more of a cool “look what my iPhone can do” app than anything.

DAH-Measure takes the measuring app one step further by measuring distance, angle, and height, all in the same app. The developers don’t divulge how they calculate the distance, they just say that Measurements are taken using iPhone’s camera, sensors and mathematical equations.” Their goal was to make a more practical app that wouldn’t have a bunch of bells and whistles bogging it down. It was built to work, and it does fairly well.

After fidgeting with the settings, I got to where the measurement tool worked fairly well, only coming 2 ft. off the actual distance (which was 18 ft.). Height was a bit trickier, with one example coming within a foot or two of the actual target and one not coming very close at all.

One word of warning, in the settings screen you have to determine how high your camera is off the ground. Because I am an American, I switched the setting to imperial, as I like ft. better than meters. Anyways, if you use an accurate distance for “camera height from the ground” (i.e. 35-50 in.), the resulting measurements will come up pretty short. I got a more accurate distance saying that my camera was something closer to 150 in (over 12 ft.!) off the ground, obviously a crazy number. I don’t know if this is a glitch or just happened to work in my circumstance, I’m just throwing it out there.

The developers did put out a disclaimer saying that the measurements are more approximate than anything, but once you get the settings right, the results are pretty nifty.

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Did you know there was an app that looked and acted just like iBooks when Apple’s reader was still a twinkle in Steve Jobs’ spectacled eye? If not, you should definitely check out Classics by Andrew Kaz and Phill Ryu and also see our review. Once you’re done you’ll be interested to know that one of the app’s developers, Mr Kaz, has launched a new app for iPad… but don’t get too excited just yet.

Ruler is, by the developer’s own admission, not to be considered a follow-up to Classics but merely an app that fills a gap on the iPad – quite literally.

Offering the same dedication to presentation as Classics, Ruler is said to offer the highest quality “digital wood” and allows users to measure in inches or centimeters with their iPad screen. Measurements larger than the iPad screen are still possible with a scrolling display and marker combination and you can even copy the current measurement so it can be pasted into an email or note.

For $0.99 it looks like it could be a useful tool if you’re short of measuring equipment but have your iPad with you. Ruler isn’t going to change the world but it could well come in handy.

$2.99

Ruler 2

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-06-03 :: Category: Utilities