1st Impressions

Ambiance is one if a number of applications that try to help you to sleep or concentrate by playing soothing sound loops. I have tried all the free ones and a couple of the other paid ones and the only one left on my iPhone is Ambiance. It is currently missing a couple of features that I enjoyed in Easy Relax Ultimate, but it has some unique features that make the switch worth it…and based on the attention of the developer to suggestions, I have a feeling that anything “missing” is just temporary.

This is probably going to be the longest review on this site, but the reasons to use this app over something similar need some discussion.

First, it comes with no built-in sounds, but access to a repository of hundreds (and growing) free sounds that you can browse, preview, and download. This means that you are not taking up your memory with sounds that you don’t like. And if you like a sound that you can’t find in the repository, the developer will add it for you. All you have to do is ask Future versions may even include an upload option.

Second, the app is available in multiple flavors. Besides the full blown paid version ($3), there is a free light version with some limitations (number of sounds), as well as a “classic” version. This classic version, free and available for a limited time, is the old pre-upgrade version added to the store to make some cry-babies happy. They didn’t like all the options and configuration of the upgrade, so the developer provided a solution for them. He’s that kind of guy. It is this kind of developer support (quick email responses, a user forum, frequent updates, etc) that really set this app apart.

Third, this app offers mixes and timers like others, but also offers playlists. Sounds can be assigned to categories and all the songs in the category can be played like a iPod playlist with each loop playing for a set period of time. Already a cool feature, future versions are expected to expand on this idea and allow for lists of mixes and such. This will allow for a sound “environment” that changes over a period if time. You could actually tell based on where (or rather “when”) you were in the sequence how long it had been playing and how much time was left.

I could go on and on about this app, but the best thing to do is to try it for yourself and check out the developer’s web site and user forum. You won’t be disappointed.

I would be short of honest though if I did not mention one thing. This app suffers from the ocassional crash. It is memory intensive and Apple is a but less than responsive about how the SDK doesn’t properly clean up memory. The developer is quite active in tracking this down though and each upgrade is better than the last (regardless of what the whiners say). Just do what I do. Use MemTool early and often and you should be OK. Even with the ocassional crash though, I still put this app above other apps of the same type.

iOrganiZ just went on sale for free in the app store. For a free to-do app, I was pleasently surprised at it’s depth of features. The app comes with pre-defined categories that you can enter items into. Items can have titles, descriptions, priorities, and due dates and times. The layout is not really the way I think, so I will probably not keep it. I tend to think more in outlines than categories. But if you think normally, you might want to check this free app out.

There are 2 kinds of cell phone owners, those that control their phones and those that let their phones control them. This app, from Cydia, is for those in the first category that are a bit on the brave side. I say that because the configuration options can be a bit overwhelming. It is worth it though. Profiles can be set to manage all your phone and SMS options. For example, unless you are family OR the SMS contains specific text and the sender’s number starts with a certain string of numbers, I don’t receive it during programmer overnight hours. Call from a private number or withhold your name? You are going right to voice mail.

Configuration options include a white list, a black list, contacts in your address book, and so forth. Profiles can be automatically scheduled, like my example above, or triggered manually. All this functionality comes at a price though. Full registration is $11.99, but it comes with a 15-day free trial period. I’ve barely scratched the surface of what all this app is capable of. For full details, visit mcleaner.com. The PDF user manual is 24 pages long.

If you like the Free Memory 1.4 program from the app store, you will love MemTool, a free memory tool in Cydia. Free Memory would only free up to 20MB or so. This will do at least 50% more than that. Igbo an going to launch a graphics or CPU intensive app, I either run MemTool first or end up having to come back and do it later.

This is another Cydia app for jailbroken iPhone’s. It tells you just about anything you could ever want to know about your iPhone internals. Nothing else comes close to it. It has pages and pages of information. The small screenshot doesn’t really do it justice.

IntelliScreen is only for those adventurous enough to disconnect from the Apple worship and jailbreak your phone. It is available from Cydia and gives you the kind of home screen that any other smart phone platform has had for years. In fact, you get three screens out of it. The first two can view content and/or alerts of your choosing, while the third is a speed dial of favorite contacts. The download is free and a free trial license is available. This and Winterboard are thevtwo top reasons why I jailbreak my phone…well there is that whole cut and paste thing too, but now I am leaving review mode and getting into gripe mode. I’ll quit while I am ahead. Check out IntelliScreen and never waste your lock screen again.

MedTag is the perfect free app if you have medical issues, especially if they result in seizures, fainting, or any other condition that would make communication difficult. Personally, I don’t have communication issues as much as memory ones. I guess it would work in that condition too. It would be handy to hand to an ER doc so they could see all relevent info. The app looks pretty comprehensive. Maybe it will sync to Google’s online health database some day.

I don’t know if it is just me or not, but I hate going into the App Store on my iPhone because it says I have say 2 updates available, only to click on the updates screen and have it show 17, click it again and have it say all apps are up to date.  What’s up with that?  I usually have to click on the updates option 3 or 4 times until I get the same result a couple of times before I update the apps.  And even then, sometimes the recently updated app will still show up as needing an update for the next couple of iStore launches.  I generally like the iStore feature.  Apple did good with that.  Just wish they would make it work a bit better.  Maybe they could take some lessons from the developer of AppSniper.

I am surprised at how well I like this addicting and relaxing game. The graphics are lovely and the sound soothing enough that I have actually used it to soothe me to sleep. The object of the game is simple. Find and pick up 5 shells and you get a bottle. Launch the bottle with a note inside. Other people find your bottles and you find theirs. Once you have a message, you can respond to it. The higher your level of interaction, the more you find.

You never know where your bottles are going to show up. On my recent birthday, I got well-wishes from five different countries. The game is cheap enough that you should try it. You ms be like me and get surprised at how well you like it.

Faces Visual Dialer is the dialer app that I have been searching for. It is SuperDial on steroids. It incorporated everything I would expect from a dialer app, and is only $1. When you tap a photo, it automatically performs whatever default communication method you specified for them. A small icon on the top of their image indicates what that preferred method is. Tap and hold and you get a menu of ALL the different ways to communicate with them. It could not be easier. Custom backgrounds and titles for up to 10 pages are an available option as well. And if you rotate your screen, you can see two pages at once. Shake it (the iPhone) and it launches all your contacts. If that were not enough, you can also use it to send contact info to someone. Make my Must-Have list.