Issues > Spring 2011 > Columns > App Addict > App Addict

App Addict

Every so often an app comes along that enhances the use of your mobile device in such a way, that you may wonder how you were able to ever function without it. With a multitude of apps to choose from, how do you know what’s worth the download?

One of the great things about mobile applications is the new capabilities that they offer you that never existed before. Before the use of this technology, who could have imagined that one day you would be able to do just about anything by simply tapping and swiping? In this issue, I will be reviewing apps that pertain to design, business, productivity, and photography.

TypeDrawing

$1.99
Category: Design
Compatibility: iPad, iPhone,
iPod Touch
Rating: 10/10

TypeDrawing lets you create your own masterpiece using letters. Start by typing the words you want displayed and then just draw with your finger. This simple action leads you to make stunning typographic art and wallpapers utilizing a variety of font styles, sizes, and backgrounds. When you launch the app, you are instantly taken to a large blank canvas where you can begin drawing. Your customization options, located on the bottom left, allow you to type the text that you want to draw, change the typeface, and choose options such as vary size by speed, randomize typeface, and tracking (the space between letters).

Other menu items include a color picker (customize the color of the type and add an optional shadow), an eyedropper tool (choose colors from your existing drawing), and undo and redo buttons located at the bottom right of the interface. When you are finished creating your drawing, you have the option to save to your device’s photo gallery in PNG or PDF format. This app is currently available in the App store for $0.99.

JotNot Scanner Pro

$1.99 – $4.99
Category: Business/Productivity
Compatibility: Android, iPad,
iPhone, iPod touch.
Rating: 8/10

JotNot Scanner Pro turns your mobile device into your own personal scanner. Any image taken with your phone’s camera is turned into a digital image and enhanced for better viewing. JotNot includes an intuitive feature that helps stabilize your camera to eliminate fuzziness or blemishes when you scan your items. You can scan receipts, letters, pictures, e-mails, and more. After you’ve scanned your items, you can edit your images before saving them to your photo library, or e-mail them to various places.

The app also makes photographed text readable and allows users to fax images to any working fax number. Of course, faxing does come with a charge, but it’s very useful. The user interface is extremely simple to use and you will find that it is simple to navigate. If you need additional help, however, it has an extensive self-help menu on the home screen. JotNot Scanner Pro is available in both the Android Marketplace and the iPhone App store.

Springpad

FREE
Category: Productivity
Compatibility: Android, iPad,
iPhone, iPod Touch.
Rating: 10/10

Springpad is for users who want to quickly save ideas and information that they want to remember. After you have saved your ideas, the app automatically organizes and enhances the things you save with useful information including directions, photos, price comparisons, and links to where you can purchase items. You can save items such as nearby businesses and restaurants, scan product bar codes, and save a photo of anything you would like to look up.

When you launch the app for the first time, you are immediately asked to sign up for a Springpad account. Once you create an account, you will be asked to log in each time you open the app. An account is required for Springpad because it will automatically backup whatever you saved to its online servers, which allows users to access their information from virtually anywhere. Preferred over Evernote (another note saving application), Springpad is nicely designed and easy to use with very little clutter.

Tour Wrist

FREE
Category: Photography
Compatibility: iPad, iPhone,
iPod Touch.
Rating: 10/10

Tour Wrist allows its users to virtually tour a variety of places and spaces right in the palm of their own hands. When you launch the app, you can instantly begin touring places like restaurants, real estate, hotels, and cities across the globe. The app allows you to view tours in a three-dimensional space and adapts to the motion of your device. Turning the device in any direction automatically shifts the image in that direction, which allows you to virtually experience destinations as if you were right there. You can also view these tours by swiping your finger across the screen.

Tour Wrist allows you to save your searches and mark certain tours to your favorites for later viewing. Using an optional fish-eye lens, you have the ability to create your own 360-degree images. Just snap a few photos of what’s around you and let the intuitive software do the work for you, stitching them together into stunning panoramic images for all to see. The app is currently available for free in the App store.