iDesign

 iDesign

Version: v.1.4.2

Compatibility: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch iOS 3.2

Price: $5

 

I've recently been getting into Adobe Illustrator for some symmetrical designs and am loving it. I loved it so much that I started looking for something similar for my iPad and found a few. For its use, I can understand how some of the apps could get pricey but its a gamble when there are so many options and all of them cost more than the graphic apps I started collecting. Tucked away in my search options, was a sleek looking app for $5. Apps that usually start with Apples cutesy “i” monicker never turn out good. Do they?

 

If the answer is no, then heres a first. iDesign does everything Illustrator does in a functional interface. I was blown away by what saw. The search was over just as it was starting. I was able to make my design with ease over the course of an hour. Create shapes, edit points, line everything up, import and export to Dropbox, e-mail, photo library. Im an absolute beginner and it was easy for me. And theres a lot of options that I don't quite get which is probably for the intermediate crowd. iDesign does it all.

 

A good purchase in my opinion. I hope the developer makes a paint app because I love their interface that much. Its gone one second and in your face whenever you need it.

Spy Mixology

Spy Mixology
Version: v.1.3
Compatibility: iOS 4.1
Price: $2

I'm not a huge fan of Bond but I'm a fan of various drinks. I guess for those who follow the movies religiously would like to know what drinks they can whip up from the movies and that's certainly exciting. But most of the time it's never specific or even helpful. Would even a die hard fan like to know when champagne appears in the movies? Well now you can know with this app which tells you that 'Champagne is served when Bond meets so and so.' Peculiar.

Even the non-champagne related drinks are severely limited. I tried to find anything other than Vodka martinis that aren't stirred. The interface is nice enough but it's just hard to justify the purchase to people who just want a drink recipe App (to which I warn you this is NOT for those people.) It's such a niche audience that I don't fit into. I'm just squeezing every penny from my wasted money by reviewing it here. Love Bond? Want to spice up a Bond marathon with drinking? PERFECT! This is the App for you! Every one else hit the road.

Posey

Posey
Version: v.1.5
Compatible: iPhone (3GS/4), iPod Touch (3G/4G) and iPad iOS 3.2
Price: Free

My iPad has become my essential graphic tool for modifying and creating pieces on the mobile iOS platform. With a plethora of creation Apps, there are a multitude of layers and steps that some images go through. Posey is a great first step to create inspiration for that next masterpiece. Prop characters to stand, tilt, jump, lean etc. Taking a screen cap and opening in other programs can make it into a digital version of an art Poser doll.

It's good for a laugh but the controls can be frustrating to work with. However the price is more than the cost of admission, with a little love it can replace the physical deal (if you're like me and prefer it that way.) The premise is simple enough and lives up to what it promises.

Photo Editing Appstravaganza!

Computers are becoming more unnecessary in the casual camera department aside for back up (which can still be done in the cloud.) We can take pictures with phones and tablets, edit, organize and upload them all from one source. Taking a good photo and making it a fantastic masterpiece that people will be so damn jealous of on Facebook is the dormant desire of anyone who signs up for the social network. There are so many Apps on the iPhone and iPad that'll help but which one is the best? Here's a few off the top of my head.

Photoshop Express
Version: v.2.0.4
Compatible: iOS 4.2
Price: Free

The standard to live by is readily available to majority of iOS devices. It balances a clean interface with accessibility quite well. For those who are intermediate to basic Photoshop features will be right at home with cropping, contrast, brightness, sharpen, soft focus, exposure adjustments as well as several effects being available. This is my go to App for photo effects and highly recommended. If you're looking for more (or if it's too much) you'll be able to safely gauge by sampling with Photoshop Express.

uSketch
Version: v.3.2
Compatible: iOS 3.0
Price: Free

Easier than Photoshop Express but lacking in specific features such as cropping and manual adjust. Adds effects to pictures to make them more interesting. It mostly gives the impression that your photos are more artsy and is good for a laugh. Readily available to upload to Flickr, Facebook, Twitter or to e-mail or save/print, it's easy to get into but can be limiting for those looking for a specific look.

Pixlr-o-matic
Version: v.1.3.1
Compatible: iOS 4.0
Price: Free

Fans of Autodesk will love their Pixlr-o-matic app which fuses the two aforementioned into a streamlined experience with an amazing interface that I fall in love with every time I use the damn thing. Sharing options aren't limited to save to the Photo Roll with access to Flickr, Dropbox, Facebook, Twitter and a few more. There are literally dozens of effects and borders to choose from to give a unique and compelling look to an otherwise boring picture. It lacks the specific sliders and cropping that Photoshop Express offers but Pixlr-o-matic will deliver you right to the end rather than making constant adjustments and wondering 'Is that good?' There's even a randomizer button to throw effects onto a picture if you don't know what you're looking for. It's all good.

Left: Before - Right: After

Scrabble HD

Scrabble HD
Version: v.1.14.53
Compatibility: iPad iOS 3.2
Price: $10

Every Holiday season two gaming giants reduce the prices of their games to ridiculous levels that it's impossible to ignore the allure. I've tried to catch up with the backlog games that sit on the last page of my iPad and try to give due attention and after a few months of having Scrabble (from another holiday) I finally spent a great deal of time with Scrabble HD. Possibly even getting more than $1 worth of fun.


If you're not aware of the classic board game of Scrabble here's the brief of it. You get 7 tiles with letters on them to which you must make words on the board with currently existing letters. I always fancied myself good with words and never played Scrabble. After some time with this game my self confidence took a quick nose dive into a deep bucket of ice-cream to which I'm slowly seeking help getting out of.

It's possible to play with iPhones or iPod Touches as tile racks which makes the iPad one of the most advanced and expensive boards (if you choose to look at it like that.) We passed the iPad around and played one of the longest games where we stared at the game for so long and attempted to form words. Lucky for me there's no time limit.

If you love Scrabble, it's absolutely faithful and worth the dollar. But never in my life would I spend $10 on such a thing even when it's cheaper than it's physical cousin. There is an iPhone/iPod version but I doubt it's much different.