Touch Karma is a collection of 3 mini-applications. 2 of these apps track karma points and the other monitors your piggy bank activity.

The application is setup very well. You can add ‘babies’ or ‘friends’ and give them a goal. So if they do good things, they get so many points, and then they get enough points they get a prize, or money, or something. This is great for kids, which is why the developers emphasized the ‘babies’ part so much.

You can add a ‘kid’ and give them a goal like ‘ice cream’ or ‘money’ then during the day you can add and/or remove karma points for specific actions. So, if the kid does a chore, you can give him points. . .depending on what they do you can give them(or take away) as many as 5 points per action.

I’m not sure why they forced the ‘piggy bank’ part into this application. To me I just wouldn’t think that it fits. But maybe the developers had an idea, and thought that the ‘piggy bank’ portion of the application wouldn’t do well if it were on it’s own. . .or maybe it would help boost sales.

In any case, you essentially get 2 applications bundled into 1(which is a great way to keep your home screen clutter-free!).

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PopMath helps you learn and practice basic math skills by adding a little challenge(making you look for the correct bubble). How far can you get before the bubbles begin to confuse you?

You’re given bubbles with answers and bubbles with the equations. You’re supposed to touch an equation and then touch the answer to it. After that you’ll see the bubbles disappear, making it easier to answer the other equations(since there are less bubbles).

You can choose between addition/subtraction, addition only, subtraction only, multiplication only, and division only. . .and you’re goal is to see how many levels you can get through. The higher levels you get to, the harder the equations become(and the more you have to solve).

This application would be great for kids just learning their basic math skills. While I think it would be actually fun early on with addition and subtraction, when they get into division and multiplication(especially the advanced levels) I don’t think it will be as fun for the kid. But it is a great way to learn(instead of having to get out the flashcards they can just play the game).

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Silent Island Relaxation is a collection of nature sounds collected and put into this application to help relax you. From ocean waves to chopping a log for firewood, this application is sure to calm you down.

There are a few of these application in the App Store, and I think they are great for meditation assistance. Using this application to help drown out the other background noises increases the effectiveness of meditation(by allowing you to concentrate more/easier).

When I go to Florida, I love to sit out on the balcony and just fall asleep while listening to the waves crash again and again. With Silent Island Relaxation I can now do this every night. I don’t think it’s loud enough with the speakers in the iPhone. . .and I couldn’t fall asleep with headphones, but I do have a dock, and using that makes it easy to listen and fall asleep.

There are over a dozen different sounds(20 I believe) ranging from ocean waves, seagulls, island stream, at the beach, wood chopping, walking the beach, thunderstorms, shells, sea storm, birds, blizzard, wind, rain, waterfall, campfire, at night, underwater and more.

The application comes with a timer setting(to the right of the sound) so you can pick the sound effect and then set a timer(like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15 minutes, etc). This way you don’t wake up in the middle of the night to it. . .or even in the morning(before you’re supposed to wake up).

It also has a day/night setting(the top right icon) that lets you change the image to a day or night time setting. This doesn’t do anything to the sounds, but if you like to stare at the screen, now you can interact with it.

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Punch-O-Meter reminds me a lot of the old flash games that tested you to see how hard you could slap/spank a monkey. The faster you spank it, the higher the score. . .and the same goes here, the faster you punch, the higher your score.

Punch-O-Meter comes with a local high scores page that lets you track your hardest/fastest punches.

I must warn you to be careful when you start swinging the device to get your best score. The iPhone and iPod Touch can slip out of your hands very easily. Especially when you’re no longer ‘punching’ because you notice a ‘throwing motion’ gives you better score, lol.

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synthPond is a synthesizer toy that utilizes the iPhone’s touch screen technology for controls and creating the beats/tones by placing ‘dots’ around the board.

The closer you drop the ‘dots’ to each other, the faster the tempo to the beat is. . .the farther apart they are, the slower it will be.

I never was the person to play with a synthesizer and think ‘wow, this is awesome/fun’. . .so this isn’t much of an entertaining application for me. But I could see the people who enjoy them, thinking that this application was very fun. Instead of just touching the tones yourself, it’s setup with a tempo/beat style, so you can create some actual music and listen to it playing(without having to continue to press the tones).

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Tribe #1: Kent Williams is a collection of paintings from the artist Kent Williams. This is just 1 chapter in the series of ‘Tribe’ applications that feature different artists from around the globe.

I’m not sure why the developers went with the translucent arrows at the bottom to navigate through the images. I would think that swiping the images left/right like the Photos application uses would be the best way to control it(and the most natural).

Other than that, this application is put together very well. The images look crisp so you can even zoom in a little bit before it gets distorted.

If you’re into art, and are always looking to find new artists then this series of ‘Tribe’ apps is right up your alley. Some would ask why not just go on Google and look at the Kent Williams images. Which technically you could(and it would be free). But if you’re a fan of Kent Williams’ art, then you’ll probably want to grab this.

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Spawn Illuminati is a toy that lets you control some wild looking visual effects. The effects look very similar to lasers/fireworks and the best part is that you can control it.

Spawn Illuminati is going to be very popular among ‘ravers’ and the more heavy drug users(acid, ecstasy, shrooms, etc). The idea that you can take some drugs and just loose yourself inside this application will appeal to a lot of people in that crowd.

While the visual effects are very pleasing and it is fun to control it. . .the fun only lasts for a few minutes, and then it gets pretty boring. I think this application would sell much more at a $0.99 price point, but since it doesn’t appeal to that many people, the current price might be the best(the developers would have to test the results). I just know how some people get after they purchase an application and get bored of it after 5-10 minutes.

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iMakeDecisions is a collection of just about every decision making application that you can think of. From playing cards, to the magic 8-ball. . .from coin tosses to a numbered dart board. You can literally let this application most of your future decisions.

This application would have sucked if it were just a coin toss app. . .or just a magic 8-ball. But thankfully the developers have included 10 different ‘mini-apps’ to answer just about anything you can ask.

While I don’t see the use of a dart board that lets you get a random number between 1-8. . .and I don’t get the ability to randomly get a color code. It’s nice that they included it(just in case). I mean with a sophisticated device that the iPhone is, it’s this really packs a lot of functionality into 1 simple application.

Includes. . .
– Coin Toss
– Random Card
– Magic 8-Ball
– Darts
– Rock, Paper, Scissors
– Will-It-Stick
– Which Way
– Wishbone
– Spinner
– Random #, Color, Date, Letter

I really like how this application turned out and hope the developers continue to add more things to the main menu.

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ACTPrinter lets you carry any documents that you would normally print. . .but lets you bring it with you as long as you have your iPhone or iPod Touch. Never waste another piece of paper again!

Note – This only works if you have a Mac computer. . .and only works if you download the special ACTPrinter application.

Instead of printing stuff like normal you print it from the application and then it will send the document to your iPhone or iPod Touch(instead of printing it on paper). This is great because you don’t have to use a piece of paper for 2 seconds(like with directions) and then throw it away. . .PLUS you don’t have to take the time to write it down(if you don’t have a printer).

I can’t personally review this application because I don’t have a Macintosh computer. . .but I have looked over the iTunes reviews(and talked to a few readers) and people who have purchased this application are very happy with their experiences.

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Jumble! isn’t a word jumble game. . .but actually an object stacking style game(much like Topple). The goal is to stack the random objects above the goal line and then hold it for 5 seconds.

When I first saw the name of this game I naturally thought it was going to be a word jumble style game. Man I was way wrong.

Jumble! is actually a game like the popular Topple/Topple 2 is. You need to stack the objects up until you pass the goal line. The objects tend to be hard to stack(like the spatulas. . .and sadly you can’t ‘rotate’ the items. . .but then again that adds to the challenge.

The one thing I never liked about these games is that they use random items. So if you play the game right now, and then again in an hour it’s not the same. You would think that this adds to the replay value. . .but to me it makes the game completely chance. You could get ‘easy’ items or ‘hard’ items. I remember having this issue with Topple. I would get so far on a higher level and then get a game over when I got a ‘hard’ item. Then when I would play it later that day I would get through the entire level because it was all easy pieces(or just a better selection).

There is an option for ’tilt controls’ which does add to the strategy to the game since you can correct leaning items by tilting the device one way or another.

Like I said, I wasn’t quite sure what this game was, and now that I’ve played it. . .I just can’t put it down(the same thing happened when I started playing Topple).

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Movie Challenge is just that, a movie trivia challenge game for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and it actually uses the OS interface that you’re already used to with your device.

The ultimate goal is just like any other trivia game. . .get as many points as possible. When you first open the application you see it looks just like the icons that you have on your device. You must complete ‘available’ spots before new spots open up. Going into an available spot will bring up 3 category choices. . .if you get one right then you move on. . .if you get it wrong, you get 2 more chances. Get all 3 wrong and you get the entire spot marked as ‘incorrect’ and you lose points(and yes your points can go into negatives).

The quicker you answer a question the more points you get for it(if it’s a correct answer), and if you get it wrong you get points taken away.

The questions included range from anything like Order(placing items in the correct order), guess the letters(just like hangman), quotes, true/false, and many more. The developers say the game comes with over 5500 original questions, so you can play this game for hours and hours and literally never come across the same question again.

I actually enjoyed this game, at least more than I thought I was. The questions can be rather tough. . .but that actually makes the game better.

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Blackbeard’s Assault reminds me a lot like Bubble Bobble, where the balls drop down from the top, but in this version the balls are being pushed around a twisting and turning route.

I remember a version of this game for something like the Luxor casino(in Las Vegas) or something. . .but it only had 1 ‘cannon’. In this version you get 2 cannons since the paths twist around so much. While you would think 2 cannons would make it better for you. . .for me it just got in my way. To move to another cannon you have to touch it. . .and then aim it, but I want to touch and slide to aim. So by the time I ‘touch and slide’ to aim. . .it only activates the cannon, and doesn’t aim it. So by the time I actually shoot, the balls have moved away and I can’t reach them with that cannon.

Other than this small gameplay issue, this game plays very smoothly and is actually very fun. With 6 different ‘levels’ that have different paths for the balls can go down. This game also starts off with a little story intro in an attempt to entice you into the game more.

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Sync in a Blink lets you work with your contacts on your iPhone and in your Gmail account. Just setup your Gmail details and press 1 of 2 buttons.

So with Sync in a Blink you can either ‘Clear Your Gmail Contacts’ or you can ‘Merge Your iPhone and Gmail Contacts’. This is done with a simple press of a button(after you setup the login details).

I was shocked when the iPhone didn’t allow you to sync your contacts with Gmail directly out of the box. Then again I’m also shocked that I still can’t use all of the Gmail features(like labels and signatures) from directly inside the default email application(or at least a custom application specifically designed for Gmail).

The simplicity of the application is what makes it shine. Having the ability to keep all of my contacts in sync(when there are lots of changes for work contacts, and even personal ones).

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Sonic Vox lets you add sound effects to your voice in ‘real time’ right when you talk into the device. There are 5 different effects you can do to your voice. . .and you’re able to tweak each effect to get it just right(like the pitch).

The icons at the top change the effect, you can pick between Cylon, Cat, Baby, Robot, Grumpy, etc. After you pick which effect then you can change the effects by sliding up/down/left/right on the screen. When you do it you’ll see the visual effects change(like color and size) to show you that it’s actually doing something(without having to test it).

To prevent feedback, you can’t talk into the standard mic and listen to the effects. Instead you have to hook up some headphones and listen to how the effects change your voice. However, you can connect an external mic and then listen to the effects from the speaker(so everyone can hear). Another downfall to this application is that you can’t change your voice and talk to someone on the phone(with the voice effects). So you can really only use this for your own personal enjoyment.

And even so, it’s still fun to hear what your voice can sound like.

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ILeaseMyCar Pro lets you figure out just how much your payments would be if you leased or purchased a car at any moment in time(at home or right at the dealership).

This is yet another calculator for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Don’t let the name fool you though, this is also for purchasing a car too. You can even do reverse calculations(if you wanted to sell or lease a car you own). So that means this application is for people on both ends of the spectrum.

This application includes everything you can think of from state tax to deducting the value of trading in your current car. The only time I could see using this application is if you were pulling up to a dealership and wanted a way to do some calculations yourself. Normally the people selling the cars will help you with this, but if you want to figure something out before hand and you have no previous experience then this application would be very useful.

I’m not a fan of specific calculators as applications(especially when they want to charge so much for it), but with so many out there. . .there has to be a market for them. I was surprised at how much detail was put into this application which is why I can understand the 3 dollar price tag. I just wish it was designed better. Things are very cramped together(but that’s just because there are so much stuff included). Maybe setting it up with scrolling pages instead of stuffing it all into one page would be optimal(then again maybe that can make things worse). . .but it’s just my thoughts.

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Meditate Now! helps you calm down and teaches you the proper methods of meditating for specific reasons(sleeping, calming down, diet, etc).

While Meditate Now! doesn’t come with a bunch of things, they do include a good sample. So if you’re interested in sleeping, chilling out, diet, inner peace, studying, healing, golfing, or getting over something then this application is for you.

I like the idea of meditating, and while I can’t force myself to sit quiet and think to myself. . .I am happy to listen to soothing music and just calming down in general.

I think it would have been smarter to include these specific features(with the voice over). . .but I also think they should eliminate the voice over and let users JUST listen to soothing background music. That way they can think to themselves and mediate about whatever they want.

When you pick a menu item, the application will go into ‘media player mode’ and play an audio track. There aren’t any visualizations or anything(which I think could also improve this application as well), it just plays an audio track. The sounds are very soothing, and the fall asleep one really made my eyes get heavy and get sleepy(I’ve been yawning during this entire review). . .but sometimes the voice over can be annoying(again removing this vocal track as an option would be perfect).

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Tubey lets you create videos directly on your iPhone and iPod Touch. Tubey makes it super easy by providing a bunch of different background music and even uploading the video to their servers(and even YouTube.com).

So once you open Tubey it asks you for some images. You can use images taken from your camera right now, or pick existing images that you’ve already taken or saved online. You can then configure the transition effects(fade, pan, etc) and then add some background music. Music varies across a bunch of ‘genres’ and then you get even more choices(the dev didn’t put a total in the iTunes page). Once it’s all setup Tubey will put the pieces together and upload it to their servers. The application says it can take up to 30 minutes to get the ‘final video’, but since it’s all automated your job is done.

Tubey is very well put together. I like it when an application doesn’t come up short and sadly this happens far too often in the App Store. What really sold me on this application is the tremendous amounts of background choices. I would like to see more transition effects, but that’s ok. . .I have confidence that the developers will update the application in the future(and hopefully they will remedy this).

If you don’t have a YouTube account, and don’t want to create one. That’s ok, because they will upload to their own servers. The one downfall to all this automation is that you must register an account with them. It is super easy though(all done inside the application) and only takes 1-2 minutes.

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Colors! is a painting application that lets you draw for hours and hours and never have to waist paint, paper, or anything else. Colors! comes with a paint brush(sizable), fading tool, color picker, and more features to assist you in your drawing.

The first thing the developers boast about Colors! is it’s ease of use. And I must say, that is where Colors! shines. I have tried other paint applications available in the app store(and even reviewed quite a few here). . .but this is the first that I could jump in and quickly create something that didn’t just look like something from MSPaint.

Other paint applications try to wedge in as many features as possible(in hopes of selling more copies), but in the end it just makes things cluttered and unusable. With Colors! you have just enough features to make it useful and fun. . .but not too many that it makes you forget where a certain feature is.

I’m not artistic in any way shape or form, so I’m not the best person to review this application. But for a casual user. . .it was fun.

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Say Who Pro is a voice dialer for the iPhone. You can simply talk into the application and have it dial a contact, number, and map search(both streets and businesses).

With a microphone you would think Apple would insert voice recognition for voice dialing contacts, map searches, to launch apps, etc. Instead Apple let the 3rd party developers do this and this is just one of them.

There are plenty of voice dialing applications in the App Store, but this is the first that integrates the google maps into it(which is awesome). I had a couple issues with the street part, but I think that’s because it was in another city. When I did a business search and even dialing contacts, it worked flawlessly.

The application uses internet servers to do the voice recognition. I expected this to make the application very slow while waiting for it to upload the audio sample and then download the results. Instead it was very fast and very responsive. It does take about 5 seconds to ‘initialize’ when you first open the application. . .and this does suck when all you want to do is call someone. . .but it isn’t the worst thing in the world. I mean it took 3-5 touches on the screen before you could dial a phone number when the iPhone first came out. Hopefully this application will improve over time just as the core OS did.

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MapsBuddy helps you to quickly find locations on your maps application. This is a great tool if you find yourself searching the same thing when you go to the maps application.

While this doesn’t do much except auto input some text into the maps application. . .if you search for a handful of the same things, then this could save a little time and save you from a lot of hassle.

I don’t find myself searching for the same few things over and over. So I really don’t mind manually typing in the search terms. But maybe you type in a lot of long search terms or a lot of them into the maps application. With MapsBuddy you can setup your own custom searches and have 1 touch access to them.

I assume this application was created for anyone that tends to use the maps application while driving. Being able to open an application, touch a search term(which you can add your own, save favorites, etc) is VERY useful when you’re driving.

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