Archive for the 'Software' Category
Ratings
Pros
- Best map interface we’ve seen
- Info Bar wealthy on information
- User configurable Voice prompting at turns
- Contact search for addressing
- iPod pausing during voice instructions
- Facebook integration
Cons
- Lackluster iPod interface and controls
- Generic highway badges
- Limited POI database
- No Internet look-up for POIs
The Bottom Line
With a slew of GPS offerings for the iPhone it is becoming difficult to find the right navigation software for your Apple device. CoPilot’s expertise and years of experience is evident in its mobile app version. While odd routing issues crept up during the review, CoPilot Live proved itself to be a nice offering with some rough edges. With a free 30-day fully functioning version to try before you buy, CoPilot is something every traveler should download to their iPhone.
Recommended
Yes
Full Review
CoPilot has been around for years and it’s version 8 number boldly indicates this. I still remember the first version it released for laptops almost a decade ago and now, it’s been shrunk down to the little iPhone screen. CoPilot Live handles the reduced screen real estate quite well placing important information in clear and easy to read parts of the screen while never cluttering it up. Of all the navigation applications I have reviewed, iPhone or stand-alone, I would say CoPilots map interface is the best. But does it get you to your destination the best?
Ratings
Pros
- Purchase once, read anywhere
- Incredibly easy to use and read from
- Rivals the actual print version in image quality
- Timeline thumbnails improves browsing
- Clickable ads bring you to manufacturers website
- Staggering magazine selection
- Jump directly to article from Table of Contents
Cons
- Lack of ability to download more than one item at a time
- Search and annotations not supported
- Can not select and copy text from articles
- No mobile to desktop sync for “last page read”
- Page slow to render with each page turn
- Downloads can be slow on slower broadband connections
- Can’t download files from desktop version to save time
The Bottom Line
Dear Amazon, I wanted to thank you for the idea of bringing print to a small, light, and easy to read device. Sadly, however, I am here to inform you that your services will no longer be needed now that I can read all my favorite magazines, and then some, along with a good amount of books, on my Mac, PC, iPhone, or iPad. Ooooh, yes, the iPad version, mmmm. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to drool but – wow! – Zinio on the iPad makes your Kindle look like an elementary school kids science project sitting next to a NASA Ares 1-X rocket. I know, silly, huh? Just like anyone would be silly not to download and install Zinio to a newly purchased iPad upon ripping it out of its box!
Recommended
Yes (Strong)
Full Review
If you’ve read our review of Zinio Reader, for both the desktop and the iPhone, then you already have a foundation for where I’m going with this review. I mean, unless Zinio just slapped in its iPhone app and gave this new iPad device no real thought, Zinio for the iPad can’t be bad, right? Right?
Read the rest of this entry »
Ratings
Pros
- Very easy to use
- Smooth conversion of data
Cons
- No local password protection
- Does not allow check printing
- Does not allow for BillPay
- Does not provide specifics or editing of data in investment tracking (including history, specific transactions)
The Bottom Line
Intuit gave the Mac community exactly what they promised: a simple, Mac friendly program. It is called “Essentials” for a reason, because that is really all you are getting. Unfortunately, this is still no match for the Windows version of the program and any Mac user that was waiting for a thorough financial management program will need to keep waiting…again.
Recommended
Not this version. There are basic changes that Intuit must make before this product becomes usable by even the most basic user. **
Full Review
Background: I have been a faithful Quicken user for the past fifteen years for both personal and small business financial management, tracking, and planning/budgeting. Initially, I used Quicken on Windows driven PCs and looked forward to each and every update.
Several years ago, I made the switch to Mac and became a Macevangelist in all areas except…financial software. Initially, I continued using the Windows version through Parallels, but I did not like keeping one foot in both worlds. The Mac OS was just so much better, so I looked forward to the release of Quicken Mac 2007. Like many other Mac users, I was very disappointed with the Mac version and the lack of userability that failed to cross over from the Windows side of Intuit. This led me to a long evaluation of all the smaller financial software programs that other frustrated Mac users began to develop. Unfortunately, I could find nothing as complete and intuitive as Quicken in the Windows environment. I forced myself to use Quicken Mac 2007 as the “best thing out there.” So, along with many, I was pleased to learn that Intuit had stripped down to the basics with Quicken Essentials for Mac (QEM).
Ratings
Pros
- Purchase once, read anywhere
- Excellent search feature
- Clickable ads bring to manufacturers website
- iPhone app incredibly easy to use and read from
- Staggering magazine selection
- Jump directly to article from Table of Contents
Cons
- Zoom is pixelated on the iPhone
- Search and annotations not supported in iPhone
- Can not select and copy text from articles
- No mobile to desktop sync for “last page read”
- Notes are not searchable on desktop reader
The Bottom Line
Recommended
Yes (Strong)
Full Review
Ah, Apple. What can you say about one of the most amazing come backs in modern history? Left for dead in the late 90s with Michael Dell suggesting that the Cupertino-based company should just close shop and give back the stockholders its money to one of the most talked about companies of the Digital Age. So of course the world went nuts with the iPad announcement. Listening to CEO Steve Jobs, back for the first time on stage since his leave of absence in 2009, the attentive crowd listened to list of great things, what many called an over-sized iPod touch, could do. One of those things Jobs told the room full of invitation-only reporters was the ability to display magazines and books. Like a Jedi, Steve played his mind tricks upon the elite crowd of those who wouldn’t dare tell the great Grand Master of the Council that it’s already been done. For years, in fact. In color! For the Mac…and PC…and iPhone…and the iPad mini, er, iPod touch. Look away from the blinking lights of Apple folks, Zinio’s been here for a while now. Let me tell you about it.
Read the rest of this entry »
Pros
- Tremendous remote control database
- Simple key layout
- Very easy to customize
- Powerful infrared transceiver
Cons
- Bit complex to set up remote (too many steps)
- Favorites require association to Activity
- Unable to disable vibration within application
- Inability to add user images for buttons
- Steep price
The Bottom Line
You can finally take control of all remote controls in one place with the Rē. The Rē contains enough built-in infrared databases to make you say aloud, “I’ve never heard of half of these brands,” while easily finding your well known brand. Finally be able to view a DVD from your home theater with just one button press while the Rē powers and sets everything up for you.
Ratings
Recommended
Yes
Full Review
I once had an iPAQ 3600 series that had a built-in universal remote by Nevo. I loved it as it was always with me and became a major factor in my work outs at the club since I no longer had to beg the staff to change the channels on the TVs. It also made home entertainment as well as playing tricks at my friends house simple and fun. Thankfully Barry Baril of NewKinetix also enjoyed the same experiences as I did with his iPAQ of yesteryear and this was, “One of my motivations to build the Rē,” he told me in an email. Outside of the built-in infrared port missing from the iPhone, is the Rē as good as the Nevo?
Ratings
Pros
- Pleasant looking interface
- Excellent iPod player
- Google Maps integration for POIs
- On-screen speed limit indicator
- Logo-based POIs for easy identification
- Superb traffic alerts and up-to-date information
Cons
- Pop-up notifications takes GPS off-line
- No Google or Internet search integration
- Lack of podcast support in Music Player
- Does not support suite numbers in Contacts and mis-routes
The Bottom Line
Magellan RoadMate ignores the iPhones sleek user interface in favor of its own look-and-feel which will help owners of Magellan’s dash mount PNDs jump right into the iPhone application. For first time Magellan users, the simply layout will be a quick learn for any experienced GPS user. Once on the road, RoadMate wraps up its well defined experience into a tightly knit package that will get your to your destination quickly, easily, and accurately.
Recommended
Yes
Full Review
Magellan went a, um excuse the pun, different route with its iPhone navigation application. Instead of using many of the familiar iPhone menu items and other common iPhone attributes, Magellan stuck with its interface from its Personal Navigation Device (PND) units found on the windshields of thousands of vehicles across America. This twist helps those going from the PND to the iPhone to minimize the learning curve while keeping the user experience satisfying.
Read the rest of this entry »
Ratings
Pros
- Best interface we’ve seen
- Excellent iPod player
- Google Maps integration for POIs
- On-screen speed limit indicator
- Logo-based POIs for easy identification
- Superb traffic alerts and up-to-date information
Cons
- Worse routing we’ve seen
- POI and highway icons too small to easily view
- Limited internal POI database
- End-point address not display
- Does not support suite numbers in Contacts and mis-routes
The Bottom Line
Navigon MobileNavigator has everything going for it from a beautiful interface, to a well integrated iPod player, to top notch traffic information, down to Google Local Search. The irony is its failure, routing! Time after time, MobileNavigator failed to route us to our destination in the quickest manner. Until Navigon can correct this, for $90, we can’t even begin to recommend this for your iPhone.
Recommended
No
Full Review
SvenOnTech first came across Navigon about three years ago with its stylus — yes stylus! — based PND unit and gave it a try after seeing its pleasing interface with POI icons that were logo of the place of business. What we found after a week of use was some odd routing behavior. Most of the issues were in the country and we wrote it off to that fact. Improvement would surely come in the coming years. So when SvenOnTech receive MobileNavigator for the iPhone, I was curious to see how it would take me home, literally. Was Navigon able to fix its PND deficiency or would I roll my eyes and ask, “Why?”
Ratings
Pros
- Best routing we’ve seen
- Great menus system
- Fast start-up
- Wealth of information on navigation screen
- iPod pausing during voice instructions
Cons
- Horrible iPod interface
- Dated map interface
- Limited POI database
- No Internet-connectivity for POIs
The Bottom Line
TomTom has a strong history of being one of the best in the GPS industry and as the first to the iPhone, it took the market lead. But with a dated interface and lack of Internet look-up of POIs that the other guys have, TomTom may have a tough sale at $60. It’s saving grace may be the fact that it routed us better than any other GPS app we have tested.
Recommended
Yes
Full Review
I’ve been a fan of TomTom navigation products way back to the start of the millennium dating to our first review of its Palm OS navigator in 2002. Yes, this isn’t the first time TomTom has brought GPS to a “PDA”. (Remember that acronym?) We all first learned of TomTom’s navigator when the second generation iPhone, the 3G, came to the world with the ability to run third-party applications. Unfortunately, it would take over a year before one was able to download it from the App Store. Now that we have it, is it as good as a TomTom dedicated device or is just a little better than the nearly decade old Palm OS version? Truthfully, there is no short answer as to how good TomTom for the iPhone is. Like all the other GPS applications for the iPhone, it has it’s lacking and it has its strengths. Take a ride with me as we make a turn-by-turn review of TomTom’s navigation for the iPhone.
Pros
- Ability to create multiple folders to keep notes organized
- Password protection for files
- Can export text to an email quickly and easily
- Fairly accurate handwriting recognition
Cons
- Full enjoyment of the program is probably experienced with the desktop client which costs extra.
- The program’s own copy and paste function seems to work against the iPhone’s existing ability to achieve this at times.
- Simple text only. No underlines, italics, bold, etc.
The Bottom Line
PhatNotes raises note taking on your iPhone to a new level. If your “Notes” program looks like a train wreck, then this is a good way to organize and manage all those things you jotted down.
Ratings
Recommended
Yes
Full Review
This program is definitely for all the “paper people” out there. You know who you are. Your desk is covered with sticky notes. You’ve got phone numbers of people you don’t even remember written down on the back of receipts. If you’re a Mac user, you hit the dashboard button and suddenly 90% of your screen is covered with those little yellow virtual pieces of paper. And then along comes the iPhone and all we get is this one little program called “Notes” that functions like an endless legal pad. I open up mine on my phone the other day and I must have 200 notes, most of which I don’t even know why I have anymore, or why I ever wrote them in the first place. I found one note that simply said “bank” on it, nothing else, just “bank.”
If you can relate to any of the above tendencies then you need to get PhatNotes. To quote the Borg queen from Star Trek First Contact, it “brings order to chaos.”
Pros
- Ability to create custom albums on the phone
- Can delete multiple photos at once
- Works smoothly with Picasa and Flickr
Cons
- A bit pricy
- Syncing only through WiFi
- Buggy
- Limited to uploading only to Picasa and Flickr
- Cumbersome at times
The Bottom Line
The concept is a good one but the software is still quite buggy and in
need of some work.
Ratings
Recommended
No
Full Review
The concept behind SplashPhoto for iPhone is to enable iPhone users to better manage their photos from their phones. Unfortunately the app falls short in many respects. The concept is great, but the app is in need of some serious tweaking.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Extensive templates for various types of data
- Very customizable
- Syncs with both PC and Mac
Cons
- Lack of cable sync (for those without WiFi)
- Somewhat plain looking interface
The Bottom Line
In a world full of user ID’s , passwords, PIN numbers, and so on, who can possibly remember them all? Splash ID hits a home run in addressing this dilemma in one simple easy to use application that securely stores, essentially, your life in one spot.
Ratings
Recommended
Yes
Full Review
I have been using this Splash ID App for about 2 months now and to tell you the truth at first I thought that I wouldn’t use it all that much once I got all the info plugged into it. But since having this app I have found myself referring back to Splash ID where all my personal info is safely tucked away just for me constantly. There isn’t much that I don’t like about Splash ID. In fact, I have found it very difficult to to find any cons for this review!
Pros
- Powerful customization
- Support for iPhone Push Notification
- Informative notification screen
Cons
- No support for user ringtones
- Some rules do not work correctly
- Inability to deactivate during specified times **
- Weak tone selection
The Bottom Line
Ratings
Recommended
Yes
Full Review
The iPhone has been the biggest thing to rock the cellular phone market since it went cellular and it just keeps getting better. Sure, it had some major short comings, such as lack of MMS, Cut-n-Paste, and applications support upon its release; however, Apple has all but corrected the majority of the follies. But nothing’s perfect and if you’re one that relies on your ear to prompt you to look or not look at your iPhone for things, then we have an email trick you’ll love to hear…and see.
Pros
- Amazing power
- Fairly easy to use
- Extremely in-depth
- Well cross-linked
Cons
- Too pricey for the casual user
- Loud startup tone
- Interface can be confusing at first
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for some serious Bible software and you have a generous budget or you are a full time pastor, Logos Bible software should be closely looked at before you purchase anything else. It may just amaze you into forgetting just how much it costs.
Ratings
Recommended
Yes
Full Review
Logos Bible Software was built from the ground up for the Mac instead of just ported from the Windows verson. The look and feel do not shout Windows but works very much like most Mac software. Soft edges, so to speak, greet you immediately. Oh, speaking of greeting, upon startup, a very loud jingle is played that cannot be disabled. I’m not sure what Libronix was thinking with it, but hey, like the software, it gets the your attention quick. Once started, the main window shows Latest News, Bible Study Starter, News, and Libronix News. Bible Study Starter is where you’ll find yourself mostly but the other sections have use from time to time as well. Thankfully, you can collapse the topics into the section names saving screen real estate. The study section have three text boxes with a Go! button to the right. Enter your query in either the Study Passage, Study Word, or Study Topic and great things happen.
Pros
- The virtual cellar – one glance shows you the wine you have and the wine you want!
- Large collection of wines in database
- Very easy to understand on first use.
- Reasonable price
Cons
- Access to wine database much slower using the 3G network.
- A little glitchy and slow to save data.
The Bottom Line
If you want fingertip access to search for wines you love, track the wines you have and plan for wines you will buy, this application is well priced to meet your needs.
Ratings
Recommended
Yes
Full Review
I was recently given the Drync wine application for my iPhone with the promise that I would use and review this application. Let me begin by saying that I am not a wine expert, but I really like good wine. In the early 90s, I worked as a waiter in a high-end wine and cheese shop. I learned several valuable lessons early on, but at the top of the list I learned to ignore the hype and simply drink what you like. Over the years, the brand, winery, vintage, grape, and cost of the wine has meant little to me, I have consistently focused on the wine I liked and then tried to remember it the next time I was buying wine.
Pros
- Very addictive game
- Easy to learn
- Difficult levels adds for long-term fun
- Easy on the eyes
Cons
- Inability to play saved games
- Price point could be lower
The Bottom Line
Apple progressively pushes the iPhone and iPod touch as gaming platform and developers have welcomed this push. With a slew of games to choose from, it’s becoming difficult to find that perfect game. Cronk fills the need for good addictive game play and while it’s a little pricey, it will not become old anytime soon.
Ratings
Recommended
Yes
Full Review
I’ll be upfront right from the get-go. I don’t have time for games. I come from the Atari 2600 generation and loved all my gaming systems up to my Sega Genesis. But after college and Sims 2000, I pretty much gave up on games. But from time to time, I need a stop-gap and a game here and there can fill that need. The slimmies at Cronk Games had to send me Cronk, didn’t they? I quickly found my stop-gap trickle over into “things I should be doing” time in little time flat.
Pros
- Opens quickly
- Easy to use interface
- Stable
- Easy OS installs
- Driverless printing
- Snapshot (back-up of OS)
- 64-bit and multi-processor support
Cons
- Window repaint/move issues in Unity View
- Hardware acceleration not supported for Windows 7 (beta)
- Docked Guest icons sometimes open two copies of app upon click on restore
The Bottom Line
If you’re in need of running a Windows application or just want to play with another Intel-based OS like something from the Linux soup, let a Parallel’s Desktop guy tell you this much: buy VMWare Fusion now and don’t even mess with the trial version.
Ratings
Recommended
Yes
Full Review
Most long-time Windows users that switch to the Macintosh find themselves needing to run one or two must-have Windows applications on their Macs. This requirement held me off from fully switching to the Mac until a virtual machine (VM) offering from Parallels was released. I immediately purchased it and installed my must-need app and bore the pain of the VM for a couple of years. Since I didn’t use the application too much, it wasn’t a huge deal. I lived with it. Now that VMWare Fusion has been released and upgraded, live with it no more do I have to. I have a choice. A better choice.
I’ve known about Fusion for sometime and its venture into the Mac world one was welcomed by the industry. It’s 1.0 effort was a good one but lacked many features found in then Parallel’s 3.x. Once 2.0 was released, it had caught up to Parallels but Parallels was just about to release its update to Desktop. That update brought a few more features to the table pushing it ahead of Fusion once again.
I asked VMWare at Macworld why should a Mac user even look at Fusion when Desktop by Parallels was clearly winning the feature war. I was told by David Polzine, Director of Utility & Productivity Solutions, that it wasn’t about the feature-race for VMWare but rather about stability and a solid product. “Use it for a week and I can bet you’ll use it over Parallels,” Polzine challenged me right there in Smith Micro booth at Macworld Expo 2009. I giggled, “Oh boy, I have you on paper for that now!” was my response. Well, I have to admit, it didn’t take a week to know if I’d ditch Desktop for Fusion. No, the answer was actually clear enough in just a mere few hours of use.
Pros
- Quickly and easily upload photos to Picasa, Flickr or Facebook
- Easy to categorize and organize photos
- Well laid out
- Not a memory hog
Cons
- Complicated to use with storage card in some instances
- Occasionally locked up during use
- Could me more customizable
The Bottom Line
SplashPhoto provides a good way to manage and upload your photos with your mobile device, but still has some kinks to be worked out.
Ratings
Recommended
Yes/No
Full Review
Uncertainty abounds when it comes to managing photos on a mobile device. My HTC S621 running Windows Mobile 6.1 came with a killer 1.2 megapixel camera that has just completely changed my life to the point that I’m considering quitting my current job to become a professional photographer! All sarcasm aside though, with the increased use of mobile phone cameras for day to day pictures many are faced with the question of what to do with all of those photos that get snapped at birthdays, bar mitzvas, and executions of famous dictators.
I personally was faced with a frustrating situation shortly after buying my HTC S621. I was trying out the new high-quality camera on my phone at a AAA baseball game with my family one night. My kid, of course, was doing something extraordinarily adorable and I had the phone out snapping away. All went well until I tried to use the phone’s web browser to log into my favorite online social networking site and upload my masterpieces so the grandparents many miles away could melt. After trying for 5 innings to simply upload 3 pictures I struck out (no pun intended).
So along comes SplashPhoto, a little program that can finally help you take all of those random shots of your cousin Patsy eating a footlong chili dog or the kid throwing up on grandpa and organize them into nice categories, even share them with the world.
Pros
- Fast, efficient, and well laid out
- Extremely versatile
- Highly customizable
- Synchronization with desktop client
- Cleaver use of iPhone features
Cons
- Number pad not automatically enabled for numeric entry
- No remote sync
- Need letter tab index for long lists
- Done soft-button does not save entries
The Bottom Line
If you’re a person of order and need an easy to manage and read list application for your iPhone that also talks nicely with your Mac or PC, then take a splash with this refreshing application that will immediately put a check in your “Buy list program” todo today.
Ratings
Recommended
Yes (Conditional)
Full Review
I’ve come to need list programs on my smartphone. It’s an absolute must for my device, be it PDA years ago or smartphone today. So, when the iPhone released in 2007 without application support, I was heavily bummed. Sure, there were a swarm of web apps that helped elevate this problem, but when you didn’t have a strong signal, or one at all, you basically had no list. When Apple announced its SDK in January of 2008, I was excited because I knew I would have a list program. Something. Anything. I wasn’t picky at that point. Thankfully, SplashData was keen to make its popular list program, SplashShopper, for the iPhone and that pleased me beyond all expectations. As a long time user of SplashShopper dating back four years now, I was a bit giddy over the news. But, let me put on my unbiased reporter hat and give you the deets on the iPhone version. You might be surprised to read what I wrote.
When SplashData informed SvenOnTech of the release of SplashShopper, it gave us a running start with it the day of the release. We’ve used it and abused it since. Like most of our reviews, we go the distance so we can sniff out the problems as well as highlight the greatness. Our time with SplashShopper allowed us to find many things that we feel will be helpful to our readers in making their decision in a list program.
Read the rest of this entry »
Pros
- Can help in the time it takes to remove dust and scratches on a photo particularly in organic backgrounds
- Greatly improves the quality of portraits in less time than usual PhotoShop tools
- Improves productivity
Cons
- Learning curve to understanding the best way to use these filters (‘how to’ examples come in handy here)
- Takes time to work into existing processes if you use PhotoShop everyday
The Bottom Line
Alien Skin has a good set of filters here. If you use Photoshop on a regular basis, and are able to take the time (as with any tools) to understand their functions these filters can really improve your work process and speed up results.
Ratings
Recommended
Yes
Full Review
Using Photoshop every day, there are always ways to improve the process of image manipulation and touch up work. Alien Skin has developed these filters to help in that arena. Everything from major image repair to the skin tone improvements — these filters can find their way into your process in provide results.
Pros
- Turns iPhone or iPod touch into external storage
- Easy to use
- Edit Notes within application
- Inexpensive
Cons
- Doesn’t play video inside iPhoneDrive application
- Inability to search Notes, SMS, or Call Log
- Can’t delete Notes
- No way to install Ringtones
The Bottom Line
If you have gobs of room, or just a wee-bit, on your iPhone or iPod touch and would like to use that as a storage device like you can with regular iPods, then you’ve just found your app, baby!
Ratings
Recommended
Yes
Full Review
Since the release of Apple’s first successful entry in the mobile phone market, there has been many cries for missing features. One such feature is the ability to mount the iPhone (and now the iPod touch) as an external drive like the ClickWheel-based iPods do. Three firmware upgrades later, the sniveling continues.
Ecamm, makers of some great software (we love Call Recorder for Skype) that many of you are probably already familiar with, have come to the rescue! Wiping the tears from our blood shot eyes, Ecamm has created iPhoneDrive which allows users to move files to and from their iPhone and iPod touch. But it does more than that, in short, it lets you access the devices music, videos, podcasts, photos, Notes, and for the iPhone, SMS and Call Log. You can back up your data off the phone for later use which is great if you’d like to keep track of your text messages and call logs. Ecamm makes this well priced application so much more robust than just a drive transfer application, it seems silly to just call it iPhoneDrive.
One thing we liked about iPhoneDrive is it’s easy to use interface. Keeping with the already well-known iTunes look, iPhoneDrive sections off your device into Data, iTunes, and Photos. The Data section contains the Files area where it creates a folder (iPhoneDrive) and gives you access to that and other folders on the phone or iPod. Data is where you’ll also find access to Notes, Call Log, and SMS. You can also edit any of your notes from within iPhoneDrive. Yes, we said edit. Finally, Notes are now useful. The iTunes section lists all the same stuff you’d see in iTunes’ Devices section of your phone or iPods sync’ed data. Lastly, Photos gives you access to the cameras pictures and your photo library. Read the rest of this entry »