Growing attached to apps and services is something we have all done as iOS users with Sparrow being a particular sore point. Difficulties can arise when developers attempt to improve upon their previous efforts in the name of innovation and improvement; however, as with Skitch, such plans aren’t so easily fulfilled. Therefore, upon hearing my favourite app of 2012 was being redeveloped, I listened with more than a little trepidation. As it turns out, the team has released a brand new app filled with mind blowing audio and visuals, once again taking it to a new level.
Again based upon Nick Risinger’s stunning cosmological photography, Sky Guide is the new iteration of Sky Survey — the most beautiful app in the App Store, until now. Like Apple, Risinger knows even the best products can be improved, and with Sky Guide his team has brought a wealth of new material to give any astronomy enthusiast goosebumps. The idea may remain the same but there’s plenty of features to get excited about whilst scanning the Milky Way. Let’s take a look. (more…)
In recent months, Google has shown an increasingly intense focus on iOS. In addition to last year’s acqui-hiring of the popular Sparrow and Snapseed teams, they have released new apps for Chrome and Maps, and overhauled existing YouTube and Gmail offerings. However, larger waves are being made under the surface; the uniform design language being rolled out across their entire catalogue may not be entirely innocent. Does Google have a subversive agenda on iOS? Well, if YouTube Capture is anything to go by, nothing is off the table.
On the surface, Capture appears to be just another simple video recording app offering only minor improvements over the stock iOS option. However, its simplicity should not be underestimated; it may just be its most threatening attribute. How does Capture fit into Google’s iOS plans? Can it replace the default Camera app? Let’s check it out. (more…)
The incredible rise of Kickstarter was one of the defining stories of 2012 with the crowd-funding service helping to fund 34,000 projects with almost $400 million in pledges. However, despite the impressive figures, critics are still abound with many lamenting the failures of projects to fulfil their promises. A charge that cannot be levied against 1 Second Everyday.
Cesar Kuriyama’s brainchild was an instant success, managing to treble its initial funding goal. Unlike delayed projects drawing ire from critics, the app was released just a month after receiving funding on January 10. The highly organised and responsive nature of the project epitomises Kickstarter’s ideals and is a model for prospective projects, however, how does the final product stack up? Let’s find out (more…)
Despite the many technological and social advances made so far in the 21st century, there are some areas in the entertainment industry seemingly undergoing a period of stagnation. The number of rehashes and remakes of classic film and gaming brands is ever increasing with largely mixed-to-negative results. Such failures beg the question of whether original works can be bettered? If Conquist 2 is anything to go by there may be hope yet.
Military strategy games have always been amongst my favourites, whether it be the classic board game Risk or the legendary Command & Conquer series. Conquist 2 takes direct influence from the former, Risk, boldly mimicking the title’s famous premise and daring to try and better it. Can it succeed? Or is another rehash destined to fail? Stick around to find out more! (more…)
As the App Store has swelled in size, it has become increasingly difficult to find those sparse gems — apps that can be a real treat to stumble upon. Sky Survey happens to be one of them. I first heard about the app while watching an episode of Horizon on the BBC iPlayer service and, utterly captivated by its premise and development, decided to track it down.
The cornerstone principle of the app is nothing new; in fact, you may have heard of Night Sky as an app that also details the many celestial objects on show above our heads. However, that’s where the similarities end. The end result of Sky Survey is derived largely from one man’s painstaking efforts to capture the Milky Way in unprecedented detail; an effort that has yielded some of the most breathtaking images I have ever seen. Stick around after the break to lose yourself in space. (more…)
Unlike the vast majority of professions, Writing requires no qualifications of its purveyors — anybody can be one. The boundless level of expression afforded to authors of any genre is unmatched by any other art form. A level of expression limited not by talent or ability, but only by the imagination of the craftsman. It has been said that writing itself is not difficult, but rather the difficulty arises with forming good ideas.
Authors cannot be taught how to be creative or imaginative; it is for themselves to coax ideas out of their minds. What can be encouraged, however, is the development of those oh-so-rare seedlings of invention into fully rooted bougainvillea. Writers App isn’t designed to boost imagination, but it does provide the tools needed to help cultivate your ideas into flourishing works of literature. Intrigued? Let’s find out more. (more…)
It’s Game Week here at iPhone.AppStorm, and all this week we’re going to have tons of reviews, giveaways and other good stuff, all centered around the gaming world!
With the ever-rising popularity of the iPad it can be easy to forget about the iPhone’s gaming prowess; a prowess that has set the benchmark for the entire mobile gaming industry. However, here at iPhone AppStorm we haven’t forgotten.
With an amazing summer of Olympic sport behind us and a new NFL season in full swing, what better time is there to present you with our picks for the best sports games on the App Store? Whether you’re a lover of football, an avid follower of tennis or a petrol-head at heart, there’s something here for you. After the jump we’ll get started. (more…)
The fictional nation of Camatuga has been devastated by a huge earthquake leaving the town’s population stranded! Built upon five islands, the only way in or out is via the network of bridges that criss-cross the landscape, but all 30 have been completely destroyed. It is up to you to rebuild the transport infrastructure and get the nation back on track … No pressure! (more…)
The Olympic Games are without doubt the greatest sporting spectacle in the world; combining 36 major sports and only the very best athletes, the games also pose a logistical nightmare for organisers and spectators alike. If, like me, you aren’t fortunate enough to have tickets for your favourite events, keeping track of specific competitions and where to watch them can be a truly thankless task.
For the Beijing Games in 2008, I drew up a shortlist of events I wanted to see, complete with times, locations and where to watch them — only to inadvertently miss Usain Bolt smash Michael Johnson’s 200m sprint world-record, one of the most spectacular moments in the history of Athletics. However, thanks to the London 2012 Results app, it’s almost impossible to make such a mistake again. Check it out after the jump.
Lists, almost everybody uses them — heck, I’m addicted to them. Despite the widening prevalence of iOS devices in the daily workflow, good old notebooks have always been my personal preference for creating lists of any kind. The reason? One-thirds nostalgia, two-thirds indecisiveness. You see, there are an abundance of list making and GTD apps out there, but none have peaked my interest enough to replace the notebook, until now. (more…)
