Tag: XVision »

We kind of like to think of ourselves as app experts around here, so it was hard to resist putting our knowledge to the test with a silly new quiz game called What’s That App? The verdict? We creamed level one, but the tiny slices of obscurity by level three had at least one of us using the process of elimination as often as answering with confidence.

The app pulls icons from the top 600 apps currently in the App Store, which might explain part of our consternation. While Pandora, Netflix, Angry Birds and Where’s My Water all are identifiable with even a corner, some of the apps are rather obscure like random emoji, flashlights, and the inevitably odious “talking” apps du jour.

The game is an endless pictorial multiple choice affair with daily updates to reflect chart changes, local settings so the icons shown are those you will be familiar with no matter where you app-shop, and Game Center integration. What's That App? costs $.99 and might not appeal to the average iOS device owner, but for those who read, say, app review sites, and consider themselves mavens, it’s a pleasant way to kill a few minutes showing off your iOS fanboy (or fangirl) mettle.

Game Time Limit for Parents is a new app for iPhone and iPod Touch that limits the length of time these iDevices can be used, enforcing rules and limitations set by parents in terms of screen time.

Brilliant in its simplicity, this app is easy to use, much like setting an alarm on one’s iPhone. When the timer runs out, your child is interrupted by a message telling him that time is up. A password is needed to restore function to the child’s device.

I think this is a great idea that many families will find useful, especially those with older children. I like that you can set an alarm to deal with your children chanting “just five more minutes,” but you can also set it for three hours if you choose, so they have their devices after dinner but will be locked out at bedtime, or maybe during school hours.

This app would be especially useful when siblings share an iPod Touch or iPhone, as a fail-proof way to ensure that each kid gets the same length of screen time.

For right now, I have had no problems simply telling my 2.5 year old that I need my phone back when I want him to be finished. My son is surprisingly gracious about this, but if this changes, I will start using this application.