SPOTLIGHTm

Quantum of Solace for iPhone

What is it?

Basically, it’s a downloadable commercial for the latest James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace. It has previews, interviews with the crew, some synopsis/cast information that you could get anywhere, a music video, and a link to buy the new Bond song on iTunes.

How much does it cost?

Free.

Who is it good for?

Not really anyone. Even Bond fans will get bored of this one. There is hardly anything of interest to the common person within this application that you can’t find elsewhere.

Summary

When you think of Bond, you think of action. When you think of Bond, you think of hot women. When you think of Bond, you think of cool gadgets. What kind of Bond-branded gadget has load times for lame videos?

This one.

The Quantum of Solace application is even more of a commercial than Pink’s application, simply because there is hardly anything (unless you count interviews with the crew, who unfortunately, much of the world has never heard of) new to check out on the app. For downloading the application, you’re rewarded with generic information, previews, and a music video… at least it’s free.

Keep it or Delete it?

Delete it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Punch-o-Meter for iPhone

What is it?

Punch-o-Meter is a Nintendo Wii-like game where the phone’s accelerometer is used to measure and assign points to the speed, strength, and trajectory of one’s punch. Essentially, it’s an iPhone peeing contest where people punch the air with their cell phones in their hands to try and outman the next guy playing.

How much does it cost?

$.99

Who is it good for?

The Wii fit crowd. People with aggression. People who have a weird habit of airboxing for no reason or fake punching their friends. Extremely competitive, somewhat athletic people. People who just found $.99 on the ground.

Summary

Considering that this application does one thing - measures the speed and trajectory of your punches - $.99 feels kind of expensive, especially when the same game is free on Android. Seeing as we already got a pretty high score within two tries (105), it doesn’t really feel like we have to use the application for all that much else. Sure, you pass your phone around to your friends at a party, but you’re guaranteed to see your phone fly across the room within a few tries, not to mention the “Wii shoulder” injury that everyone will get. This is a novelty game that is like a fight - fun for the first few punches, then stops being fun after that.

Keep it or Delete it?

Delete it. (but obviously, keep it if you already paid for it, otherwise, save $.99 and use a friend’s)

Read the rest of this entry »

Sometime today, Google will flip the script on us once again with a new product that allows you to speak a search query into your phone to pull up results or even location based results. The application will be free and chances are it will be much more useful for everyday use than something like Say Where!, which is more for just maps and reviews.

Shut the front door, Google. We’re excited about this one and can’t wait to spend our 15 minutes with it. Review to come.

Weatherbug for iPhone

What is it?

The just recently updated Weatherbug application helps you answer “What’s the weather like?” in any city around the world.

How much does it cost?

Free.

Who is it good for?

Anyone and everyone, but especially business travelers. The recent update on Weatherbug allows users to save up to ten cities in their list, providing easy access to weather information when on the go.

Summary

This is a simple application, but a good one to have from a trusted name that used to mysteriously install itself on our computers (remember those days?). Despite a few shortcomings here and there (no extended forecasts), the Weatherbug application is fast, useful, and functional. There is very little entertainment or random news to be found here and we like that.

Keep it or Delete it?

Keep it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Labyrinth Lite Edition on iPhone

What is it?

Labyrinth Lite Edition brings the old school fun of labyrinth into the palm of your hand. You tilt your iPhone to move a marble into the finish “hole” while avoiding other holes and obstacles along the way. There is a full version ($6.99) that expands upon the ten levels available in the Lite Edition as well.

How much does it cost?

Free.

Who is it good for?

Casual gamers. Anyone who enjoyed Labyrinth as a kid or who never got to experience the joy that was the big tilting wooden box that was Labyrinth. People who ride public transportation and are looking for a quick fix, temporary cure for boredom.

Summary

You know the game, now it’s just iPhone-d. It’s easier than the original, but the most impressive part about this application is how responsive the game is to the slightest movements of the phone. It’s no where near as frustrating as it was using the two knobs on the original game, but we think that’s for the best because no one wants to throw their phone on the ground just because some pixels fell down into some circular dark pixels. It’s mindless, retro fun.

Keep it or Delete it?

Keep it (or upgrade to the full version that comes with 500 levels)

Read the rest of this entry »