Posts Tagged ‘Paid’
Yesterday I wrote about how great it was to finally have the Official Twitter App for iPad. However, when it comes to Facebook the wait continues. Unlike Twitter (they acquired a great 3rd party App and made it their own), Facebook has developed their own App for iPhone and iPod touch, but it's not yet a native iPad App. Although there is an official Facebook App for iPhone, it doesn't support all of the features of Facebook and that really bugs me considering that it comes directly from Facebook. Luckily when it comes to the iPad, Facebook works pretty good in Safari. It's not perfect, but it works. Last week Jason reviewed his favorite iPad 3rd party Facebook App, Friendly. Today, I'm reviewing a competitor to that App called Social. I was hesitant at first because usually 3rd party Apps just don't have the level of access to the service they are designed to support. This is why I want a native Netflix App with full queue and account management. 3rd Party Apps just can't access those features and the currently implementation of the "official" Netflix App for iPhone doesn't have them at all.
Social seems to have all of the features of Facebook
Wow! I was blown away by the level of Facebook feature support in this App. It supports the usual stuff like Friend, Photos, Chat and News feeds, but it also has support for Pages and Groups (the latter isn't even in the Facebook App for iPhone). The information is presented in easy to navigate (customizable) tabs. Sadly the only feature that it doesn't seem to have and it's one I use extensively is Lists. Again, this is not too surprising since the Official Facebook App doesn't have it either, but it's the only thing that I can see that's missing.
OK, sounds great what's wrong with it
Other than the missing Lists support the biggest problem with this App is that it's buggy. It quits on a regular basis and often times when I tap on something it takes me to my News feed instead of the item I tapped on. For example, I added three pages to the Favorites tab. When I go to the Favorites tab they are listed there. However, when I tap on any of them the Page never comes up, instead it goes straight to my own news feed. I can access those three pages no problem from the Pages tab. There are also some glitches playing Facebook videos.
UPDATE
Of course as soon as I wrote this review yesterday, he releases an update last night! I could have simply changed the review, but I thought it would be more interesting to see point by point what got fixed vs. what I had complained about. Also there was no time to thoroughly test the update, but the Favorites bug is fixed and although I see the lists feature via the News feed i don't see any way to actually manage the Lists via the App. Otherwise this looks very promising. Here's what the update addresses:
UPDATE #2
I just got a friend request and decided to process/accept in Social to see if the List support was there and I'm happy to say that it is! Although I can't manage the Lists themselves in the App, I'm very happy that I can add new Friends to Lists upon acceptance right in the App.
The Bottom Line
This is by far the best Facebook App I've seen to date on the iPad from a feature support standpoint. If the developer just works out the bugs, it would easily be a 4-5 star App. I'm looking forward to those updates.
You can get Social here from the 
I've lost over 50 lbs in the past year primarily by doing a good job of sticking to my diet. However, it's time to step things up a bit and get back into a regular exercise routine. I have an elliptical machine and swimming pool at home as well as some free weights. I'd be lying if I said I knew what I was doing on any of them. Sure I can set the elliptical machine to 30 minutes and go! However, is that enough? Probably not! So if I were to design a fitness App for the iPad I would want to have tons of different exercises in it with pictures, explanations of the exercises as well as videos on how to do them. I'd want to be able to build an exercise program with my own workouts as well as suggested routines and the ability to track my progress.
iFitness HD is exactly what I'd ask for and more
I was quite surprised at how comprehensive this App was and how loaded it is with info. There are over 330 exercises built-in. If that's not enough you can even add your own custom ones. Although there isn't a video for every exercise, the short videos showing you exactly how to perform the exercises are a huge plus. It's rich with tracking abilities too. You can monitor your schedule via a nice built-in calendar and even export your logs via email in CSV (txt format) or PDF. There's even a built-in BMI calculator (I hate looking at that thing! LOL) If you have the iPhone version you can sync the data between them. There's a built in timer for many of the workouts too. This App definitely seems to have it all! However, there's one thing that I would definitely like to see added. One of the problems working out alone is that, well you're alone. There doesn't seem to be any audio in this App. I'd love to have the App count out my repetitions as I do them as well as having an audible time. In other works I'd want more of a workout "video" trainer when possible. The iPad has a nice large display and is great to prop up and watch as you work out. I often sit it on my elliptical machine and watch podcasts while working out. It would be cool to have a workout instructor guide me verbally as well as visually. The only other thing is that the App for some reason doesn't work in landscape view. It's not a big deal just surprising that everything is portrait. Otherwise this App has it all.
You can get iFitness HD for the introductory price of $3.99 here from the
Get the Navigon North America App for only $39.99 here from the <-My favorite Turn-by-Turn GPS Navigation App
Get the Navigon USA App for only $24.99 here from the
Navigon is celebrating their birthday with a Half Off Sale on their iPhone/iPod touch GPS Navigation Apps. My Region Apps normally go for $24.99, however for a short time they are only $14.99 each!
Now you can get: MyRegion US East – covering: (AL, CT, DE, FL, GA, IN, KY, MA, ME, MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, Ri, SC, TN, VT, VA, WV) On Sale for $14.99
MyRegion US Central – covering: (AL, AR, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, NM, ND, OH, OK, SD, TN, TX, WI, WY) On Sale for $14.99
MyRegion US West – covering: (AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY) On Sale for $14.99
Need a little more? Say two regions? No worries, just buy the main region you need and you can expand your coverage with an in-app purchase of up to two additional regions. So this way you can start with the main region you need, but add on later and only if you need to. This is the kind of pricing that I felt these GPS Navigation Apps should have had all along! So don't hesitate. Jump on these Sale prices while the getting is good. Also if you have an iPod touch or you just want a great Car Kit to go with your Navigon App, check out this one by Magellan.
My setup above is:
- The iPhone 4
- The Magellan Premium Car Kit
- A GPS beanbag friction dashboard mount
FAQ: Yes, all of the Maps are built-in to the App. No, you don't need a data connection while you're using it (except for the weather, parking and Google POI search). No it does't require your data plan (except for the 3 things I just mentioned). No it doesn't require a Car Kit unless you're using an iPod touch, which doesn't have a GPS (the car kit does). No, there are no monthly fees. You buy the App and you're done.
Honestly I never thought that I'd be reviewing another Tip Calculator, let alone one specifically for the iPad. The thing about Tip Calculators is that usually once you have one that you like, there isn't really much more that you need. My favorite Tip Calculator for the iPhone is BigTipper. I love the UI (User Interface) and it has all the features (I thought) I wanted. Also In the beginning I never thought I would have my iPad out in a restaurant. However, more and more I find myself using it especially if I'm eating alone or during a lunch/dinner meeting. When the check comes and I need to figure out the tip I either do it in my head or I reach for my iPhone. Granted, any calculator can figure out a tip. There's not a lot of math going on there. 
What I like about a dedicated Tip Calculator is the ease of use of doing things like adjusting the percentage, not tipping on the tax and rounding up. Although there are several Tip Calculators on the App Store, many of them miss one or more of these basic requirements or their UI's are horrible. If I'm going to have a Tip Calculator, let alone pay for one, then it has to have EVERYTHING I need. After my last breakfast meeting, I started thinking about getting a Tip Calculator for my iPad. Although BigTipper runs fine on the iPad, I want a native iPad App whenever I can get one. I want one that not only works on the iPad, but looks great on the iPad's large display.
CheckPlease for iPad does what I want and even offers a unique feature
Let's start with my minimum requirements: Great UI!, easily adjustable percentage, the option to not tip on the tax, the ability to round up/down, and it has to be fast and easy to enter the total of the check (some of the early tip calculators defaulted to the alphabetic keyboard-doh!), lastly although I never use it, it should have the option of splitting the bill (people just expect to have that option). CheckPlease for the iPad has all of this of course or it wouldn't be getting a review here. However, it has one thing that I never thought of, but did run into recently. It has the option of adding in a coupon or gift card. Just the other night I was at dinner with some friends and I had a gift card to the restaurant that I wanted to use on the bill. The amount of the bill was more than the gift card, so I was going to have to pay the difference. In this situation the waiter/waitress should still get the full tip amount AND once the coupon/gift card is deducted you want to be able to see the proper totals to fill in for the payment. CheckPlease for iPad allows you to easily add in a coupon or gift card with a single tap. It's a small thing, but it's one that I hadn't seen yet on any other App in this category. Lastly CheckPlease for iPad integrates with PocketMoney. I don't use PocketMoney, so this feature doesn't mean anything to me. What I would like to see though is the ability to keep the history of your transactions right in the App like BigTipper does. Otherwise, I'm completely happy with this App!
You can get CheckPlease for iPad here from the
One of the things I've wanted since day one on the iPhone was a built-in list of SMS text responses. I had this feature way back when on my Palm Treo. So I'm still stunned that it's not built-in to the iOS. Nonetheless, there's now an App for that. SMS Quicky addresses this need cleanly and easily. The App is very easy to use. You launch it and there are some canned responses already available. You can of course add as many of your own responses as you need. Then when you need to use a response, just launch the App and tap the response you want to use. That response will automatically be sent over to the messaging App in a new message. That's it! Straight and to the point.
I want copy and paste too
While the App performs exactly as described, I would like the option of perhaps holding my finger down on a response to copy it to the clipboard instead of sending it to a NEW SMS message. This way I can use the App for other things like email responses, and responses to existing SMS threads or in other 3rd party Apps that I use like TextNow. Also it would be great to implement this App/feature as an optional keyboard. That way if I'm already in the Messages App I could just switch to the special keyboard to pick canned messages to insert. Lastly once a template is created there doesn't seem to be a way to rearrange their order or edit one. If you want to edit it you have to delete it and create a new one. If you add a copy function, editing and manual sorting to this App, I'd gladly give it that 5th star
You can get SMS Quicky here from the
One day after I list my Top 10 Favorite iPad and iPhone Universal Apps, one of my favorite iPad Apps goes Universal. That's right! Desktop Connect is no longer just for iPads. This VNC/Remote Desktop App now brings its power and great UI (user interface) to the iPhone and iPod touch as well for the same price. That's the great thing about a Universal App is that you buy it once and install it on all your iOS devices. As soon as I got the update I was able to sync it to my iPhone 4 and start remote controlling my Mac from the palm of my hand and I can do this wirelessly from local network or anywhere in the world over the internet.
You can see my original Desktop Connect review here.
You can get Desktop Connect here from the
Having both an iPhone and an iPad there are Apps that I use on both. So I thought I would share with you my picks for the Top 10 Universal Apps for iPad and iPhone/iPod touch. These are the 10 Apps that I love to use on either the iPhone or the iPad. They are also + Apps which means they are Universal Binaries that you download once and install or either iOS Device and the App takes complete advantage of the iOS Device that it's installed on. So here goes in no particular order:
FlightTrack Pro
FlightTrack Pro is hands down my top favorite travel App. This App along with Push notifications has saved me more than once. The was one of my first Apps to go Universal and it's gorgeous on the iPad. Also on the iPad you have the option of an in App purchase that allows you to see the arrival/departure boards for just about any airport. The fact that it syncs with TripIt is just icing on the cake. Great App!
Get FlightTrack Pro here from the
Grocery iQ
Grocery iQ recently became a Free download. I love this App on the iPhone because I can use the iPhone's camera to scan the barcodes of items that I want to add to my list quickly. I love it on the iPad because it syncs the lists with my account and therefore I can view or edit a list with the nice big iPad display.
Get Grocery iQ here from the
Pandora Radio
This was already a great App. However, with the new iOS 4 multitasking support, it's now a must have! It's also awesome on the iPadl Just select your favorite artists and listen to hours of commercial free music.
Get Pandora Radio here from the
As a frequent international traveler I depend on various Apps to make low cost calls both back to the states and to other countries. We've all heard of Skype and while I use Skype like many of you I also have a separate company reimbursed VoIP line through Vonage. I have a separate Vonage "Sofphone" line with its own number and it allows me to make calls via my computer. The beauty of this line is that it uses the SIP protocol. This means that it's compatible with just about any standard SIP client including the various iPhone Apps out there. At first I was using an App called WeePhone and while WeePhone works, it was very basic and lacking in some features that the higher end Apps had.
Acrobtis Softphone is my New Favorite VoIP SIP Client
This App already had more features than WeePhone. However, in their latest update they added support for iOS 4's multitasking, which means that the App can run in the background during a call while you use other Apps in the foreground. So in that respect it works just like the native iPhone Phone App. As many of you know I'm a sucker for a great UI (user interface) and Softphone is beautiful to look at. The App allows you to customize the colors and just has a more overall polished look to it over the last App I was using. I also like the fact that they have built-in presets for the most popular SIP based VoIP services and that makes setting up your account a breeze. Usually all it takes is to choose the service you're using and enter your user name and password and the App configures all the settings for you. I also really like the icon based Quick Dial (Favorites) feature. You add your most frequently called contacts to this screen and you just tap their photo to make the call. You can also configure the App with multiple SIP accounts if you need to. Probably the biggest reason I use this App over Skype is a simple one, Softphone supports bluetooth headsets. Other than that I also find the audio quality to be better too. Just like the native Phone App it works with my Jawbone ICON headset. So I can use it for handsfree calls.
It works over both 3G and WiFi and it's not limited to the iPhone. This App also runs great on an iPod touch or iPad. That's right you can use any iDevice as a phone! I've made calls from my iPad because it was already in my hands and the iPhone was across the room. Now before you rush off and buy this App I must remind you that it will be of no use to you unless you have a VoIP service that uses the SIP protocol. There is a list of providers right in the App and you can pick one of those if you don't already have one and get setup. International rates will vary, but they will be pennies compared to what your cellular carrier will charge you.
What about receiving calls? Although Softphone runs in the background in iOS 4 while you're on a call, iOS 4 doesn't allow any of these apps to sit idle in the background waiting for a call. Therefore if a call is received the App can only notify you via Push notifications. Depending on your VoIP carrier and the Push settings, this will either work for you or it won't. I didn't spend a lot of time in this area simply because I forward my Vonage line to my Google Voice number for my incoming calls.
You can get Acrobits Softphone here from the
Although I really like the features of iOS 4, I'm not liking the fact that the customizable double-tap-the-Home-button feature was replaced with the double tap the Home button to access multitasking. In the previous iOS 3.x you could customize what you wanted the Home button double tap feature to bring up. For me it was my Phone Favorites. For others it was the Camera, Search, iPod, etc. If you have a multitasking capable iDevice running iOS 4 you no longer have a choice. Double tapping the Home button brings up the multitasking bar PERIOD. So how do you quickly access you phone favorites (after all the iPhone is a phone!)? Now you're back to having to first launch the Phone App and then tap Favorites. On the plus side, I'm finding that Voice Control works MUCH MUCH MUCH better for me in iOS 4 on my iPhone 4, but I sill would like a faster way to get to phone Favorites.
Favorites steps in to save the day
I actually bought this App months ago, but didn't really use it. Then I saw that it was one of my Apps about to be updated and I checked out the new features and of course it was updated with iOS 4 compatibility. I gave it another look and wondered if it would be a good replacement for the missing functionality that iOS 4 took away. The good news is that it is! Favorites is an App and therefore it can be put on the dock. That in and of itself gives me a one tap to access Favorites no matter which Home screen I happen to be on. You can easily add your "favorite" contacts to the screen from your Contacts list and pick the default number for each contact that you want the App to use. Once you tap a contact, that default number will be dialed. If you want to access other function such as sending an SMS to that person or an email, then just double tap the person's icon to get more choices. So in a way this is actually faster and more powerful than the built-in Favorites feature. Since it's iOS 4 aware it supports Fast App Switching as well as appearing on the multitasking bar right where you left off. The other obvious advantage is that it's VISUAL. You dial someone by their picture, not their name. Being a very visual person, I visualize the person I want to talk with, not how their name looks. So this is great for me. Although I do hope that Apple gives us back control over the Home button, this will work out quite nicely in the meantime and it has earned a permanent spot on my iPhone 4's dock!
You can get Favorites here from the
I actually began my consulting business many years ago setting up FileMaker databases for clients. Back then I would have definitely considered myself to be a power user. I looked at each client's needs as a challenge on how I could not only solve their problems with FileMaker Pro, but also automate as much of their workflow as possible. While I'm no longer a consultant, I'm still a FileMaker Pro user and I use it to manage my non-profit organization MacGroup-Detroit, Inc. The database I built years ago still gets the job done. It's in need a face lift and I'm sure I can take advantage of some of the new features that have been added to FileMaker Pro over the years, but I haven't really needed to fix it up because it just works!
Now I can access my database on my iOS devices
FileMaker Go comes in two flavors. There's an iPad version and an iPhone/iPod touch version. I opted for the iPad version simply because it makes more sense to do this kind of work on the larger iPad screen. However, make no mistake about it, if you need FileMaker Pro database access on your iPhone or iPod touch, there's an App for that too! While I've been anticipating this app for some time now, I'm actually glad that they (FileMaker, Inc.) didn't rush it. FileMaker Go is AMAZING! From the moment I launched it on my iPad, I knew then that this was going to be a great App. I love it when a developer pays attention to detail. For example, when you launch it you'll have the local databases (the ones actually installed on your iPad) on the left and any FileMaker Pro databases running on the network on the right. Since I figured that installing my database on the iPad would probably work just fine (just like the Bento app), I was more interested in the networking abilities. So I fired up my FileMaker Pro database on one of my Mac desktop computers and then went to the iPad. The iPad (FileMaker Go) saw it right away and was able to open it wirelessly without any problems.
I can do everything I need
If you were to ask me what would I expect to be able to do with an iPad version of FileMaker Pro? I would say that I want to be able to add records, find records, edit records, delete records and switch layouts. FileMaker Go not only does these things, but the UI (user interface) is well thought out. I can see this App along with the iPad being an inventory, order taker, evaluator, or administrative assistant's dream come true. Of course there are lots of other use cases too, but those immediately came to mind. For anyone that needs to access THEIR data in the palm of their hand, I can't think of a better solution. FileMaker Go is not for new database creation. You're better off building the databases on your computer anyway.
What about the price?: The price of the iPad version is $39.99 and while that will put some of you into sticker shock, it's really not bad when you consider the possibilities and target (business) market. The iPhone/iPod touch version is only $19.99. My only wish is that for those willing to pay the $39.99 for the iPad version, it should be a + (plus) App that runs both on iPads and iPhones. That would feel more fair to me. As it stands now if you want to run this on both an iPad and iPhone, you would have to either buy both, or buy the iPhone version and not take advantage of the iPad's native size. Otherwise, I don't have any issues with the prices being charged. You either need this kind of app or you don't and if you're just a consumer (not a business user), then you're probably better suited with the Bento App.
The Bottom Line
Other than a couple of minor layout glitches in my database, FileMaker Go did a phenomenal job representing my exact FileMaker Pro layouts on my iPad. I found the App easy to use and there really isn't anything I can think of that I would ask for. I know that some of you are going to be upset because there is no printing. However, that's not a limitation of the App, it's a limitation of the iOS. Although an Export/Print to PDF would be nice. At least that way you could share a report more easily on the go. If you're a business user or you deploy FileMaker Pro Apps, this is a must have for you and your clients!
You can get FileMaker Go for iPad here from the
You can get FileMaker Go for iPhone/iPod touch here from the
