iPhone Malaysia Blog » Apps Review

Apps Review: Skype iPhone App on 3G network

admin — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:23:37 +0000

iPhoneMalaysiaBloggers tested Skype on an iPhone 4 over both Wi-Fi and 3G networks. Phone calls needed a bit longer to be connected than anticipated. Audio came through first with video appearing a second or two later. Audio and video quality began somewhat jerky for each call up, but they got better within a few seconds.

Once fully hooked up and past the initial jerkiness, calls were actually pretty fine. Sound came through pretty clear, and video quality, though not amazing, was steady and consistent. Using an iPhone 4, WE were able to have a clear conversation together with another person using Skype 3. 0 on a desktop Mac.

The phone calles over 3G were equally good as phone calls made over the Wi-Fi network. Of course, the quality will be very dependent on the quality of the 3G connection.

Skype says it produces calls in 320×240 image resolution, at up to 15 fps, and it appeared to live up to its promises. Video quality was also mostly smooth throughout the entire calls we made, even when we moved the cameras around considerably.

We also did some direct comparability tests between Skype 3. 0 and FaceTime. We looked at sharpness, frame rate and overall video call quality. As per the video listed below the FaceTime won over Skype throughout all the three tests, although the differences aren’t so drastic as to render Skype useless.

FaceTime’s video is meant to reach 30 fps, which is twice the price of Skype. In our tests FaceTime had a frame rate about 35% greater than Skype’s. That made for smoother, clearer video. But Skype still looks good enough for a video call to work just fine.

And while FaceTime might be sharper, it is also a lot more limited in scope. Skype is the best video calling software available right now if you want to make calls over the 3G network, or make calls between a device running iOS and a desktop PC.

Skype 3. 0 is certainly a step in the right path for Skype as well as for video calling in general. However Skype still requires to add video call support for phones running operating systems other than iOS. Luckily, a Skype representative told us, “Mobile is a huge priority for us and you will see a lot more update versions on the mobile front—including Android—in the new year. “

Last month Skype introduced a new version of its widely used iPhone app that includes video calling support. After evaluating numerous different poor quality video calling applications for smartphones, we were wondering if Skype would be any different. Fortunately, it is. Although video calls over Skype may not be as great as over FaceTime, Skype 3. 0 can make calls over the 3G network and to desktops, making it the best overall mobile video calling application out there.iPhoneMalaysiaBloggers tested Skype on an iPhone 4 over both Wi-Fi and 3G networks. Phone calls needed a bit longer to be connected than anticipated. Audio came through first with video appearing a second or two later. Audio and video quality began somewhat jerky for each call up, but they got better within a few seconds.
Once fully hooked up and past the initial jerkiness, calls were actually pretty fine. Sound came through pretty clear, and video quality, though not amazing, was steady and consistent. Using an iPhone 4, WE were able to have a clear conversation together with another person using Skype 3. 0 on a desktop Mac.The phone calles over 3G were equally good as phone calls made over the Wi-Fi network. Of course, the quality will be very dependent on the quality of the 3G connection.Skype says it produces calls in 320×240 image resolution, at up to 15 fps, and it appeared to live up to its promises. Video quality was also mostly smooth throughout the entire calls we made, even when we moved the cameras around considerably.We also did some direct comparability tests between Skype 3. 0 and FaceTime. We looked at sharpness, frame rate and overall video call quality. As per the video listed below the FaceTime won over Skype throughout all the three tests, although the differences aren’t so drastic as to render Skype useless.FaceTime’s video is meant to reach 30 fps, which is twice the price of Skype. In our tests FaceTime had a frame rate about 35% greater than Skype’s. That made for smoother, clearer video. But Skype still looks good enough for a video call to work just fine.And while FaceTime might be sharper, it is also a lot more limited in scope. Skype is the best video calling software available right now if you want to make calls over the 3G network, or make calls between a device running iOS and a desktop PC.Skype 3. 0 is certainly a step in the right path for Skype as well as for video calling in general. However Skype still requires to add video calling support for phones running operating systems other than iOS. Luckily, a Skype rep told us.

Below is a video showing the comparison between the iPhone 4 running Skype on 3G vs iPhone 4 running Facetime on 3G.

News: Top iTunes apps in 2010

admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 08:40:56 +0000

Apple has just revealed their list of top selling applications sold via iTunes in 2010 thus far. Below is the summary of the key highlights from their iTunes Rewind 2o10.

Top Ten most downloaded paid apps(highest total number of downloads) in 2010 for iPhone/iPod touch category

2010 Champion: Angry Birds

2010 Runners-up: Doodle Jump

2010 3rd placing: Skee-Ball

4th placing: Bejeweled 2

5th placing: Fruit Ninja

6th placing: Cut the Rope

7th placing: ALL-IN-1 GAMEBOX

8th placing: The Moron Test

9th placing: Plants vs. Zombies

10th placing: Pocket God

Top Ten most downloaded free apps(highest total number of downloads) for iPhone/iPod touch category

2010 Champion: Facebook

2010 Runners-up: Angry Birds Lite

2010 3rd placing: Words With Friends Free

4th placing: Skype

5th placing: Tap Tap Revenge 3

6th placing: The Weather Channel

7th placing: Paper Toss

8th placing: Bing

9th placing: ROCK BAND FREE

10th placing: Talking Tom Cat

Top ten highest money grossing apps(total revenues received) for iPhone/iPod touch category

2010 Champion: MLB.com At Bat 2010

2010 Runners-up: Angry Birds

2010 3rd placing: Call of Duty: Zombies

4th placing: Bejeweled 2 + Blitz

5th placing: FriendCaller 3 Pro

6th placing: Zombie Farm

7th placing: TomTom U.S.A.

8th placing: TETRIS

9th placing: Plants vs. Zombies

10th placing: Doodle Jump

Top Ten most downloaded paid apps(highest total number of downloads) in 2010 for iPad category

2010 Champion: Pages

2010 Runners-up: GoodReader for iPad

2010 3rd placing: Numbers

4th placing: Angry Birds HD

5th placing: Keynote

6th placing: Glee Karaoke

7th placing: WolframAlpha

8th placing: Pinball HD

9th placing: Friendly for Facebook

10th placing: Star Walk for iPad

Top Ten most downloaded free apps(highest total number of downloads) for iPad category

2010 Champion: iBooks

2010 Runners-up: Pandora Radio

2010 3rd placing: Netflix

4th placing: Google Mobile App

5th placing: Solitaire

6th placing: Movies by Flixster

7th placing: IMDb Movies & TV

8th placing: Kindle

9th placing: Google Earth

10th placing: Virtuoso Piano Free 2 HD

Top ten highest money grossing apps(total revenues received) for iPad category

2010 Champion: Pages

2010 Runners-up: Numbers

2010 3rd placing: Keynote

4th placing: LogMeIn Ignition

5th placing: SCRABBLE for iPad

6th placing: Documents To Go Premium

7th placing: Angry Birds HD

8th placing: Real Racing HD

9th placing: Plants vs. Zombies HD

10th placing: Proloquo2Go

Congratulations to all the winners. If you have not downloaded these games/apps yet, you may want to do so.

Apps review: TomTom GPS App for iPhone

admin — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 03:23:39 +0000

Although the iPhone comes pre-installed with Maps, it does not have voice navigation which is important for users who wish to have a full fledge GPS navigation solution. TomTom, one of the world’s top GPS maker, has finally released the version 1.5 of the software for iPhone. So, what’s new in the version 1.5 software. Below are some of the features that are available in this release of software:-

1. Navigate-To-Photo functionality: If you have a photo of the place you want to go, just tap on the image and TomTom will take you there. You will no longer need to enter the address to get there. This is one of the key feature of this new release and one that users want. What you see is where you’ll go!

2. New and updated maps: Your new TomTom app comes with the latest and most updated map, ready to navigate.

3. Optimized for iPhone 4: If you own an iPhone 4, Turn-by-turn navigation with TomTom just got even better, with high resolution retina display graphics. Menus are also more responsive, even with limited GPS reception.

The rest of the features remain unchanged and include multi-tasking support (included with the iOS 4), advanced lane guidance (i.e. which lane you should take for an upcoming exit), IQ Routes that take into account current traffic conditions, street name announcements, and so on.

***Some of the major features on the TOMTOM GPS iPhone application***

- Landscape or Portrait orientation option

- Route sharing

- Navigate to contacts

- Destination dialling

- Help me! Emergency menu

- Automatic day and night mode

- Automatic music fading

- Seamless navigation while on voice calling (iPhone 3GS or 4 only****)

- Background navigation instructions (iPhone 3GS or 4 and iPod touch 3rd Generation only****)

- Departure reminder

- Economical routes

- Various Car symbols

***Maps on board***

- A full and up-to-date map is stored on your iPhone or iPod touch. Minimizes data charges.

- Does not require a cellular signal or data plan usage

- No data roaming charges are incurred while traveling overseas

COVERAGE: Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore

Feature wise, this app is packed with a lot of great stuff. The only disadvantages are the continued use of the TomTom App on the iPhone will suck up battery life. The way around this is to install the car kit which includes the charger and holder for the iPhone device to allow true handsfree operation. In addition to that, the price tag of the app is a whopping US$59.99. At this price, it is probably one of the more expensive app available on the iTunes. Having said that, it is still a convenient choice for iPhone users who do not wish to carry another GPS device with them when they travel.

Below is the video on some of the features of the new TomTom GPS app(version 1.5):-

Apps Review: Angry Birds – one of the most addictive games on iPhone

admin — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:45:58 +0000

One of the highly popular and addictive games available on the iPhone is Angry Birds. This iPhone game is developed by Rovio, a developer based in Finland. Since its release to the Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch devices on 10th December 2009, the app has been downloaded/purchased more than 6.6 Million times.

Background of game: A group of evil pigs have stolen the eggs from the birds. These flock of birds are now furious and wants to take revenge as well as to retrieve back their eggs. To prevent these birds from attacking them, the evil pigs have built some structures that are made from various materials ranging from wood, glass and rocks. These pigs are hiding behind these structures. The objective of the game is to eliminate all the evil pigs by launching the birds using a slingshot.

There are different types of birds which have different capabilities in the game. Below are the list of the birds and their abilities:-

Red birds – basic bird that use their size and momentum to attack.
Blue birds – can be separated into three smaller birds by touching the screen to add punch into the attack
Yellow birds – can speed up by touching the screen to dash into their targets with a higher momentum
Black birds – can explode on command or after hitting with an object
White birds – can drop egg-shaped bombs onto the structures to damage them as well as the evil pigs
Green birds – can fly in the opposite direction like a boomerang to knock off the evil pigs
Big Brother birds – almost like the standard red birds but bigger in size and can cause more damage

You will get stars depending on how many birds that you have used in order to eliminate all the evil pigs, the lesser birds use, the better the star rating. Hence, it provides a challenge to the players to strive for the maximum number of stars i.e. three. This is where it gets addictive as players will repeat the same level over and over again to make it to 3 stars with the highest score.

Below is the trailer of the game:-

Every levels have pre-determined types and number of birds in a sequential order which cannot be changed. The pigs also appear in different sizes and shapes. Some pigs even have helmets which makes them stronger and harder to be eliminated than others. Hence, it requires the player to think and plan strategically before the start of the game in order to maximize the power of the different types of birds.

Points are scored for each pig that is eliminated as well as for the extent of damages done to the structures. Players can receive up to three stars for each completed level, depending on the points scored.

Since its successful debut on the iPhone, the developer has also launched it on other smartphone platforms and is also attracting a huge following too.

It is currently available on the iTunes Store at a promotion price of US$0.99. If you would like to test it out first before purchasing the full version, the lite version of Angry Birds is available for free downloads.

Conclusion: All in all, i think this is a fantastic and highly addictive game. It gets the iPhone Malaysia Bloggers’ thumbsup. The graphics, sound and the many levels and variations to the game makes it very interesting and addictive.

Apps Review: iWorry App

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:42:37 +0000

All humans experience uncertainty from time to time and worrying is a normal response to uncertainty. If you are overly affected by too much worrying, the good news is that, there is now an iPhone app that can help you to manage worries better. The iWorry app is a worry journal app that helps users to handle their worries and problems better than a normal notepad. The iWorry app is developed by a Malaysian-based company, Pringgle Media. Pringgle Media is focused on developing intuitive and easy-to-use applications to the iPhone and iPod Touch platform. The iPhoneMalaysiaBlog team has the opportunity to interview the Founder and Chief Software Engineer of Pringgle Media, Mr Waihon Yew recently. Below are some of the information that we have gathered about the iWorry App from him.

The iWorry app can enable users to jot down their worries in a worry list the moment they occur in order to get them out of their head quickly. While doing so, they can also assign a tag to a worry for easy retrieval and filtering later on. Users can also schedule a worry time. Only at the appointed time that they can view their worry list. “This serves to discipline users to worry only at a specific time.” said Waihon Yew, founder of Pringgle Media.

When the worry time is reached, users go to a chosen worry place where they can be with themselves and think through their worries. For each worry, they can either delete it from their list if it is no longer relevant or note down their decision such as a solution or action for follow-up. A decision tag that summarizes the decision made can be chosen. “There are some time-saving features that users will find handy such as viewing only those worries associated with a specific tag and deleting multiple worries at one go.” said Yew. Using this way, users can tackle their worries in a more systematic and holistic way.

Below are some of the screenshots of the iWorry app:-

Those worries updated with a decision are captured in a logbook, which is separated from the main worry list. The logbook is grouped by decision tags. Within a group of worries, users can further filter the list by a worry tag. Those worries no longer relevant can be deleted from the logbook. “Users can also password protect iWorry to prevent undesired access to their private information.” said Yew.

Below are some of the key features of iWorry app:

* You can schedule your worry time and worry place

* You can enter your worry and put a tag on it for easy retrieval at a later stage

* When you think through each worry in your list, you can write down your decision, action, solution, or other remarks; delete it from the list if it’s no longer relevant; or keep it in the list for future review.

* You may delete multiple worries at one go

* You have a Logbook that keeps all reviewed worries for future reference

* Unlimited number of worries can be stored

* Web resources related to worrying

System Requirements:

* Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

* Requires iOS 3.0 or later (iOS 4.0 tested)

* 0.7 MB

The iWorry Apps is currently available for downloads at the Apple’s AppStore. There are 2 versions of the app i.e. the iWorry(standard) which is available at US$2.99 and iWorry Lite which is available for FREE.

To see how the iWorry works, below is a video on the iWorry App:-

All in all, i think this is a great app that can serve its purpose. Congratulations to Pringgle Media on the launch of the iWorry app. i am sure we can see many more great app coming from this company in the future. Malaysia Boleh! :-)

Apps Review: Cine Apps

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:40:28 +0000

How do you find out what movies are showing at your local cinemas and the showing times of each movies? Things that i have personally done in the past includes buying the local newspaper and browsing at the “Movies” section as well as driving all the way to the cinema to check them out.

Introducing the new iPhone CineApp application………………With this new application, you do not need to do that anymore.

With the CineApp application, you are able to do the following:-

1. Add a cinema into your favourite’s list for easier access in the future.

2. Connect to Google map to get the direction to your cinema of choice

3. Check and compare movie showtimes for every cinemas in your vicinity.

4. See what is being shown in the “Now Showing” and “Coming Soon” tabs

5. Watch trailers and video clips of the selected movies

6. Read synopsis and reviews of the movies of your choice

and many more…… :-)

Below are some of the screenshots of the Applications:-

With such ease of use and features, i will undoubtedly give it a thumbs up to this Application.

To find out more about this App, you may go to their website at http://www.appsolution.my/gallery/cineapps.html

Tips and tricks: How to transform your iPhone 3G to look more like iPhone 3GS for FREE?

admin — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:37:51 +0000

Do you fancy to have the iPhone 3GS functionality but are currently stuck with the iPhone 3G and are not planning to upgrade your current iPhone 3G in the near future?

Below are 3 Applications that can help transform your iPhone 3G to have features that are similar to the iPhone 3GS for FREE:-

This application “Say N Dial” has the similar functionality as the Voice Dial feature of the iPhone 3GS. Please take note that if you have many contacts of very similar names, this application may not work very well as it may tend to confuse itself with similar sounding names. So, do not be surprised if you ended up calling someone that you do not originally wanted to call using this app.

Ever wanted to have the Zoom and Flash functionality of the iPhone 3GS? This application is a great one to do just that. It allows you to capture images and will do a modification on the captured image to make it looks brighter. It also allows you to perform a zoom whenever you want to. This is certainly an application that i will recommend for those of you who do a lot of photo-taking using the iPhone.

The iPhone 3GS comes with the standard battery indicator on the top right corner of the phone. If you are using the iPhone 3G and would like to know the remaining battery life on your iPhone 3G, you may want to consider installing this app. It provides a good estimation of the remaining minutes that the iPhone can last if it is put on standby mode, talktime mode on 2G/3G network, internet browsing mode on EDGE/3G/Wifi as well as video or audio mode when using the iPod function.

Of course, these are not going to fully replace the iPhone 3GS functionality. It is however a good or reasonable compromise to enhance the iPhone 3G handset. Have fun testing out these functionalities and do drop us a comment if you have found better apps that can do the tricks.

Apps Review: Dropbox iPhone app

admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:08:00 +0000

Dropbox has been around since May 2008 although it is only recently made available as an iPhone app. Dropbox is an application which allows you to synchronize folders on your local computer to other computers easily via the internet. The Dropbox iPhone App enables you to access those files on your iPhone seamlessly now! For this app to work on your iPhone, you need to have at least the iPhone OS3.1. The other great thing about this app is that it is FREE and it comes with a free 2GB storage. For additional storage, it is chargeable at US$9.99 per month for 50GB or US$19.99 for 100GB. For myself, the 2GB storage is good enough for my personal usage.

Key features of the Dropbox application are:-

1. It loads and synchronizes quickly and seldom crashes(i have not experience any crashes while using the Dropbox app)

2. This app is free and it comes with a free 2GB storage

3. You can share the folders with anyone by sharing the login and password with them.

4. You can share files(word, excel, pdf), powerpoint presentation, music and videos easily and seamlessly with others using this app.

To understand how it works better, i have included a video below which provides a good introduction as well as detailed steps on how to use this wonderful application. :-)

i would give it a thumbs up for the ease of use as well as its usefulness and practicality. i would personally rate this app as one of the coolest iPhone app. If you have not downloaded it yet, i would strongly urge you to go check this out!

For more information on Dropbox as well as to download the Dropbox application onto your PC or laptop, you may check out the website below:-

http://www.getdropbox.com/

Apps Review: TuneWiki app for iPhone

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:16:06 +0000

Have you ever wanted to get the lyrics to your favourite songs but do not know where to get it? With the Tunewiki apps, this may not be a problem anymore. Tunewiki is a cool app that provides worldwide radio station channels on your iPhone. With the wide varieties of genres available on Tunewiki, finding your favourite song or radio station will be a problem of the past.

Tunewiki offers a few great features as below:-

1. It automatically syncs lyrics to the streaming songs that are being played. If no lyric is available, then it will will display “:: Sorry No Lyrics Yet! ::“

2. It has hundreds of radio stations worldwide powered by SHOUTcast radio.

3. It allows you to find your favourite music videos on Youtube.

4. and the best part is, this app is FREE. :-)

With all these great features, i would highly recommend you to download this great app. One thing to bear in mind though is that you will need at least an EDGE, 3G or Wifi connection for this app to function smoothly.

Below are a couple of screenshots of this TuneWiki app as well as a video from Youtube showing you how to run it:-

Do check out this wonderful app and feel free to give your comments on it. :-)

Apps Review: Pandora Box (free Apps)

admin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:30:24 +0000

The PandoraBox App from AppZap is a handy little app that notifies you whenever there are Apps on sale. If you have a list of Apps that you wanted to buy but do not want to buy it at their normal price, you can save them as your favourites in this app and it will indicate to you if any of them have reduced in price.

You can also look at each app’s details just like in the app store and view the screenshots. There’s also a link from each app to the app store to make it easier for you to purchase the app. In addition to that, in order to make it easier for you to notify your friends about the apps on sale, there is also a little ‘Tell a Friend’ link at each app’s features page.

At the top of the screen, you can also find 2 different categories i.e. free and new paid apps both ordered by release date. Below is a screenshot of the Pandora Box App.

All in all i personally think this is a neat little app to help you save money on your apps. It has certainly saved me some money and because of that i will give it my thumbs up for this app.

So if you want to save money on your app purchases, go over to the app store and get your hands on the PandoraBox App from AppZap and start saving now. :-)