Category Archives: Productivity
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Numbers Review
Numbers Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
Developer: Apple Inc.
Price: $9.99
Version: 1.1
Price: $9.99
Version: 1.1
Design Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Features Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Integration Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Usability Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
The spreadsheet application of the iWork Suite, known as Numbers, is Apple’s take on Microsoft’s Excel. Spreadsheet users will be relieved to hear that Apple’s take on the application is identical in terms of function to Excel, it only differs in form. For instance, the cell formulae like =SUM and =AVG are still the same in Numbers, as are all other formulae, and the spreadsheet even looks the same (but let’s be honest – how could it look much different), but Apple’s design leaves Microsoft Excel looking like a tool from the past. And now that Numbers is on the iPad, well, things just changed entirely. Again.
As with Pages, Apple offers fifteen preset templates (including a blank sheet, of course) in Numbers for iPad. Although the list is not as expansive as Numbers for Mac, the ability to customize each sheet in detail means that if you’re ever stuck for choice and know what you want, you can choose the sheet that looks the least dissimilar to your wants and edit it accordingly. Getting started with Numbers is an easy process, even if you’re new to spreadsheets. Apple includes a ten-point spreadsheet example to get you started.
Users of Apple’s iLife and iWork suite for Mac will be familiar with the “i” information tool that Numbers makes so much use out of. The “i” button is dynamic, meanings its function changes depending on what you’ve selected. If its a chart, the “i” provides a number of different colour schemes and options like the ability to include a title, whether or not valued labels should be inside or outside of the chart and an ability to turn the legend on and off. If you click in a cell, the “i” provides a number of options regarding cells (text and fill colour, alignment etc), formatting in the form of cell type (currency, percentage, number, checkbox and so on), and headers and tables settings. The list continues with every new type of object you tap. Numbers will recognize what is selected and offer a specific set of settings accordingly. The other buttons are identical to that of Apple’s Pages:
The picture icon to the right of information offers the ability to insert all of these features: pictures in the iPad’s Photo Albums; tables and charts (of which there are six different styled versions to choose from, all of which are customizable) and a number of shapes. Thankfully, the much-needed option to insert a text-box can be found in the ‘Shapes’ section also.
Finally, a ‘Tools’ icon is also to be found, providing the ability to … search the document and turn on/off edge guides and spelling check. Noting edge guides in particular, this feature automatically aligns text and images against other parts of the document, to create a seamless and professional-looking piece of work. It works well. Saving the most important feature to last comes in the form of undo and redo facilities, which are again essential tools that Apple have integrated well. One tap to undo, tap and hold to redo.
Numbers is beautifully easy to use for both beginner and professional, with no loss of customization along the way. The application automatically detects what type of cell format your data is related to. For example, by entering £20 Numbers will automatically format the cell to currency, providing only two decimals after, to create £20.00.
The list of functions is generous and – as any good spreadsheet user knows – almost limitless once you begin to customize functions to your own preference. Apple includes a preset of ten function categories to get you started, with the most popular (and some less well known) functions already there. The categories are: Date and Time, Duration, Engineering, Financial, Logical and Information, Numeric, Reference, Statistical, Text and Trigonometric.
For those not familiar with functions, think of a spreadsheet as one large, unconventional calculator. If you enter in a list of numbers, and in a new cell type =SUM(x), with x being all of the cells you selected, it calculates the sum total of those cells. =AVG finds the average and so on. In part, this is why I find the preset templates so alluring, as these spreadsheets are already formatted accordingly, and linked to graphs already designed and ready to go. Apple’s templates are easy to understand and even easier to customize.
Noteworthy is the new keyboard that Apple has designed exclusively for Numbers. A number of calculator functions like addition, subtraction, brackets and division are found on the left hand side; a numpad in the middle; and a number of “hot buttons” on the right hand side. These buttons include: the list of aforementioned function categories, entering text, adding the date, and dictating whether a cell is marked “true” or “false” if necessary. In addition, when entering a stream of data, Apple provides two return keys: one to go across to the next cell and one to go down to the next. Given the iPad’s touch screen interface this is a welcome addition, providing a quick and easy way to navigate exactly to the cell you wish to edit.
Apple provides a number of options in which to share spreadsheets to and from the iPad. iTunes File Sharing allows spreadsheets to be locally transferred back and forth between the iPad and your computer (in .numbers and .pdf format). In addition, Apple’s new iWork.com service allows spreadsheets to be published online, although strangely there is no apparent way to retrieve spreadsheets from the web onto your iPad, even via iWork. Spreadsheets can be both sent by and opened through the iPad’s Mail application.
The only real flaw that I found throughout using Numbers is not a fault of Numbers itself, but rather the iPad’s screen. Although it is easier to move and re-organize documents with the iPad’s touch display, I did find it more difficult for creation and inputting. Of course, with the ability to pair a wireless keyboard the iPad, this problem can be overcome.
In conclusion, Numbers is everything that it should be, and Apple has designed it in a way that somehow keeps all of the features there, but makes it so much easier to use than its rivals. It feels like a real Apple application, and that is very refreshing indeed.
[ Numbers Review is a post from 148Apps ]
Pages Review
Pages Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
Developer: Apple Inc.
Price: $9.99
Version: 1.1
Price: $9.99
Version: 1.1
Design Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Features Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Integration Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Usability Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 4.88 out of 5 stars
Contrary to popular belief, the iPad is not just an output device. Yes, it provides games and entertainment and music and browsing. Yes, it is a book reader. But with the right applications, the iPad is transformed into an input device: one that allows for creation. Pages for iPad is one of these applications. My expectations were high, especially seeing as I am long time user of the iWork suite for Mac. My expectations were exceeded.
When opening Pages, you are greeted with a personal directory of documents. To get started, tap the plus icon at the bottom centre of the screen, where a list of built-for-iPad templates are provided. There are sixteen all-in-all, less than the Mac equivalent but more than enough for even the most customizable of users. If you use Pages for Mac, you’ll be able to add all your documents onto the iPad through iTunes’ File Sharing feature.
Once you’re in a document, the power of Pages is revealed. Up top you’ll find a woodgrain-themed menu bar offering a significant number of features to advance your work. The first icon – information – is denoted by the familiar “i” symbol featured across the iWork suite. And, like its Mac counterpart, the “i” changes depending on what you have selected. If it is text, the “i” provides the ability to style it in a number of pre-defined ways: you can transform text into a list and adjust the layout in the form of alignment, number of columns and size of line-spacing. If selected on a table, the “i” the provides options to choose the style of the table in a number of intricate ways including which lines to show and whether colour should be applied to alternate rows, as well as more basic features like what the text font and size should be. Equally, the list goes on for charting, shapes and images.
The picture icon to the right of information offers the ability to insert all of these features: pictures in the iPad’s Photo Albums, tables and charts (of which there are six different styled versions to choose from, all of which are customizable), and a number of shapes. Thankfully, the much-used option to insert a text-box can be found in the ‘Shapes’ section also.
Finally, a ‘Tools’ icon is also to be found, providing the ability to edit the document’s setup (header, footer etc), search the document, and turn on/off edge guides and spelling check. Noting edge guides in particular, this feature automatically aligns text and images against other parts of the document, to create a seamless and professional-looking piece of work. It works well. Saving the most important feature to last comes in the form of undo and redo facilities, which are again essential tools that Apple have integrated well. One tap to undo, tap and hold to redo.
Now to talk about actually using Pages for creating documents. The impressive array of features is only as good as Apple’s integration and ease of use is! As a personal test, I began using Pages without reading the Getting Started tutorial, and yet I knew where everything was within just a few taps. Apple has an uncanny way of thinking, a method that isn’t outside of the box but rather what the box should be in the first place. Not once was I left thinking “why is that there?” or “this would be better over there.” Instead, my thoughts were “well this feature must be here” and almost always it was. The pre-written templates are a big advantage, even for basic document creation, as only a little bit of rework and customizing is needed to suit a wide variety of document styles and personal tastes.
Even when it came to less common features like integrating pictures and charts and tables to my documents, it was always just a few taps away from what I wanted it to look like. Finger gestures, like two-fingers to rotate, tap and hold to move and one finger to bring up a list of options, became second nature instantly, and the provided edge guides coupled with x and y-axis positioning ensure that everything is accurately placed.
Of course, sharing is a critical feature that deserves attention also. Apple have provided a generous variety of ways in which documents can be imported, exported and published. You can send a document via Mail, share it via Apple’s premier iWork.com service, and also export the document ready for iTunes File Sharing whenever you plug your iPad in to your computer. This final method provides the ability to save the document in Pages format (.pages), PDF (.pdf) and Microsoft Word (.doc). Documents also be imported through iTunes File Sharing and through the iPad’s Mail application.
Pages does fall short in some areas. Paper size can only be A4 or US Letter size, meaning larger documents like A3 cannot be created natively. In addition, the lack of an ability to add new words to the Dictionary directly through Pages becomes frustrating when inserting names of people or places: a squiggly red line constantly reminds you that the word you’ve entered does not actually exist. Furthermore, despite the iPad’s powerful A4 processor, Pages remained concerningly slow on image-heavy documents. Whenever I began to enter text on a document with eight images on a single page (see screenshots) the text input was surprisingly sluggish. Text styles can’t be edited either.
Unfortunately, importing documents brought about the most concerning problem of Pages. Even in Apple .pages format imports, frequent errors came up with regards to margin sizes and formatting, sometimes skewing documents up to the point of unreadability. Hopefully future fixes will address these issues in general and this issue in specific. Finally, documents can’t be saved as a template for future documents.
Despite these flaws, Pages has transformed the iPad to the point of redefining it. No longer is it only an output device for pleasure, but an input device for creation as well. Even with its problems, Pages is impressive, succinct and very easy to use – even though it houses a number of intricate features and options. For document creators, to say it is worth $9.99 is an understatement.
[ Pages Review is a post from 148Apps ]
Splashtop Remote Desktop Review
Pocket MBA Full Course (Part 1) – iPad App Review
Pocket MBA Full Course (Part 1) – iPad App Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
Pocket MBA Full Course (Part 1) ($449.99)
Version 1.0
Are you in school studying for your MBA and still searching for that perfect study aid to help you with completely your degree? If that fits your description then you may find Pocket MBA Full Course (Part 1) an app would reading about.
This app is developed by Intersog and is similar to taking a course at your own pace. It is really nice, clean, in depth, and does a great job of offering something for different learning styles.
First of all you’ll notice when you launch the app that it has a great interface to it. It defaults to the main menu, which lists out the different courses that you can choose from, with a brief summary of each one. From here you will pick the subject you are interested in studying and proceed to Launch that course.
Once you choose and go into a course you’ll see it’s even broken down into chapters. After that it goes into pre-course expectations, which I think is great, so you will know what to expect to learn from each chapter. In addition, if you look along the bottom you’ll see that they offer the chapter in modes to read the text, study through flash cards, and even to take an exam.
A few things worth noting about this app ..
1. You can bookmark your progress or just any sections you would like to refer back to.
2. You can search for topics throughout the app through a handy search button.
3. There’s a handy glossary (specific to the application) so you can look up new words quickly and easily as you encounter them).
4. The app is quick, smooth, really clean, and just overall very nicely laid out. You can tell the developer put a lot of time into fine tuning this application.
My thoughts? If you’re studying for your MBA and need a great tool to give you that motivation and push to do well then this app is definitely worth looking at. Yes, it’s pricey but so is your education, right? Those Master’s classes aren’t cheap, trust me I know!
If doing well and not repeating courses is important to you then this app may be worth the investment. It’s very nice, seems very in depth, and may be what you need to give your education that extra boost, so check it out in the App Store today!
- Chris G
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CineCrop – iPhone App Review
iPhone App Review: AppZapp
iPhone App Review: AppZapp is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
There are over 225,000 apps in the iTunes App Store, and the number is growing each day. While the apps available are neatly divided into categories and you can browse by several different criteria, finding anything good in that morass of mediocrity is almost hopeless. Add to that the fact that developers change their prices almost daily, sometimes for only hours at a time, and I think we can all agree that an app like AppZapp can come in handy.
What AppZapp does is track new app submission as well as price changes, so that you can quickly find apps that have dropped in price (sometimes to as low as free). You can also create an account and add apps to one of several lists, so that AppZapp will track price drops on those specific apps and alert you when the price has changed, potentially saving you money. Considering that the app itself is free, it seems like you have nothing to lose, right?
Features
- Free apps and new apps at a glance.
- “Price Alarm” informs you of markdowns of your selected apps.
- Watch list for apps.
- Full browsing of the app store by category, just like the App Store included on your device.
- Browse other countries’ app stores, currently including Germany, Australia, Switzerland, UK, and the USA.
Pros
Essentially the same App Store, with the included feature of price alarms and watch lists, something Apple’s own app should feature already.- Each app includes a price chart, showing the various recent ups and downs in pricing.
- Some apps feature YouTube videos as well as the standard App Store screenshots. Again, wish the actual App Store app featured this.
- Includes iPad apps, and the ability to filter and only see iPad or iPhone apps in your lists.
- Slick and stable, very well designed, attractive icons and intuitive interface.
Cons
- The app has some random German sprinkled throughout in unexpected places. Tap on the option “Collections” from the main menu screen and you’ll see what I mean.
- Even though I have English selected, I sometimes see pricing in Euros. It happens very rarely, and seems to only happen when I view the “Sales” screen.
- The app listings include all information from the App Store, except user reviews. Odd omission, this is the first thing I look at when thinking about buying an app. If pulling the comments is too intensive, at least have the average star rating for the app.
Overall
All in all, AppZapp is a great way to browse the App Store and track apps that you’ve been keeping your eye on. At the price of free it’s definitely worth a look to see if it’s the app for you.
Strip Password Manager Review
Envision the Impractical with My EYE
Envision the Impractical with My EYE is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
Price: $.99 Score: 3/10 By A. Papachristos
Phones have become a suspicious tool because they simplify one’s ability to spy and cheat. With the ability to send photos and videos by pressing a single button, users can share vital or incriminating evidence within moments. However, with My EYE by TouchMeProject, users now have access to an application that promises to serve just this purpose despite the fact that it lacks even some of the most basic features you can access for free with the tools built directly into your iPhone.
With My EYE, users can connect with other users to send messages and videos right within the application. (Yes, both users have to download My EYE in order for such transfer to work.) Working in real-time via Bluetooth, My EYE does not require an Internet connection, nor an additional paid messaging plan.
When you start the application, you will see two eyes, one being the actually letter i itself. Tapping on the letter will provide you with usage information because, without such instruction, it would be extremely difficult to figure out My EYE’s true purpose. By tapping the actual image of the eye, users can then search for and connect to any local devices also running My EYE. Once you have connected, you may send text messages by using the Chat button or video by pressing the Video button. Your friend will automatically receive your messages when connected.
As the App Store description suggests, you can easily use My EYE to spy on someone or copy off another person’s class work. However, I do believe that this is the exact reason why students must either leave their phones at home or present them to their teacher when taking important exams. Such cheating can also lead to plagiarism, which can have serious ramifications.
Also, with a special introductory price available until the next update, the My EYE description also includes a list of features to be added in the next version: the ability to connect via Wi-Fi, send audio, send photo and save photo. Not to be a killjoy, but I can already perform all these tasks with the default features nearly every phone comes with these days, and I will not need to connect via Bluetooth with someone running the exact same application on their iPhone.
I can already send text messages courtesy of the data plan my phone carrier mandated upon purchasing my iPhone. And, if I do not want to text them, there are multiple applications that provide instant messaging for free. I can already connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi or 3G, allowing me to send information in this respect as well. I can send photos via text message or email, whichever I prefer, and I can save any received photos right to my photo library. And I have been sending audio messages since my very first cell phone. (That was their original use, correct?)
No offense, but if I can already accomplish such tasks without the $.99 price tag and the restrictions that come with only being able to interact with other My EYE users, why wouldn’t I simply use what Apple gave me?
My EYE [iTunes Link] requires iPhone OS 4.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch. A small expedite fee was paid by the developer in order to speed up the publication of this review.
EpicWin Review
Group Email Gets the Message Out There
CalPrint for iPhone Review
CalPrint for iPhone Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
Developer: EuroSmartz Ltd
Price: $4.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Price: $4.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
iPhone Integration Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
User Interface Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Re-use / Replay Value Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
For productivity and organization junkies, this is the perfect App for sharing and printing your Calendars, anywhere, straight from your iPhone. For my review of CalPrint, I’ll first look at its usefulness as a Calendar App and then describe the printing feature, which is the highlight of this app from EuroSmartz, Ltd.
At first, you may notice that CalPrint has a similar look and feel to the built-in Calendar App with iOS4 — a basic layout with several views. My favorite is Month View, but with this App you’ll find it different than the built-in Calendar App as it actually shows your events on the dates instead of just a marker for events with descriptions below. This is a common theme in third party calendar Apps, as most people want to see the information about their upcoming events all at once within this view. This is a greatly appreciated change from the built-in App. Another feature that I always enjoy is how one can navigate in this view to the next month. More and more Calendar Apps are offering side-swiping for this, and CalPrint is no exception. A fantastic idea for ease of use, and a definite plus over the regular Calendar (which I find out be a little cumbersome to navigate sometimes).
The Day View gives you a basic hour-by-hour layout similar to the iOS Calendar App, but also has the side-swiping feature of going from day to day along your schedule. CalPrint also has what they call ‘week view’ which allows you to basically see several these hour-by-hour day schedules at once, in a week-long format. You can also zoom in & out to get fewer or more days (up to 7) in this view. It’s an interesting addition, and while I still prefer Month View, I’m sure someone will have this as a favorite too.
The final view is List, and here we have something a bit special as well. Instead of listing basically all of your upcoming events, you can customize which events this list shows. Your options are by date ranges, and offer quick-taps for lists like ‘next week’ or ‘this month’ or you can custom build a list from specified dates. Really fantastic if you simply want your schedule while you’re on vacation, or on a business trip, or something else of that nature.
Now that you’re familiar with viewing your calendar, let me quickly go over editing. It’s fairly simple. In every view you have the same top-bar that offers three choices – Edit/Add Events, Email Calendar and Print. Obviously to add events you’ll want the first option, and adding events is as simple as filling out the same details as you would in the built-in Calendar App. Just make sure that you’ve selected the proper date, as it won’t auto-select the date, even in Day view.
If you have a Wifi Printer and your iPhone is on the same network, the App should automatically detect and be able to print just fine. If you don’t have a Wifi Printer but still have your printer shared on your network you’ll have to download the WePrint Software (don’t worry, it’s free!) to manage the printers. One final trick is that using this software you’ll actually be able to print from your iPhone regardless of the network. This allows you to print something via Wifi or even 3G someplace else. You can find these settings within the WePrint’s Print via Proxy preferences. The other built-in sharing option is via email; you can email a PDF document to yourself, or anyone else, which is convenient for printing later.
Sadly, while this App is very functional and absolutely useful, it does have a couple design flaws. First and foremost is the fact that it does not show multi-day ‘All Day’ events over the course of each day. It only shows up on the day that it begins. Secondly, I did mention earlier that even in Day View you’ll have to manually enter in which day you’ll want to add your event too – not a big deal, but still a bit bothersome. And while the Email via PDF is a fantastic feature, sadly my PDF was blank.
Finally I do want to note the extensive support and help that EuroSmartz offers on their website. Not only a full support document section, but also how-to videos on setting up and using the WePrint software.
While there are some drawbacks, this is still a great App to have around. It’s useful and simple. While you might not find it to be the perfect app for customizing or using as an everyday Calendar App, it’s definitely perfect for viewing and quickly editing when need be, and you’ll be able to print and share your calendars from anywhere. If you’re a calendar junkie, and even if you’re not, I highly suggest checking it out.
[ CalPrint for iPhone Review is a post from 148Apps ]
Group Call & Text by Callvine – iPhone App Review
Crosscheck Review
Crosscheck Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
Developer: Wolter Group
Price: $9.99
Version: 1.0.1
Price: $9.99
Version: 1.0.1
Design Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Features Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Integration Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 4.33 out of 5 stars
The productivity section of the App Store holds a surprisingly small percentage of total applications available – a mere 2.34% at last count. Nonetheless, to-do and other productivity-based applications are becoming more and more popular not only within the business community, but within personal usage as well. The developers at Wolter Group New York are one of the latest to satisfy this new demand with Crosscheck, an iPad-only “super-simple” productivity application for iPad.
At first glance, Crosscheck appears like a more GUI-friendly version of TaskPaper (an application that received a worthy 4.5 stars). The interface is clean and intuitive, resembling applications made for iPad by Apple.
Crosscheck uses tags and specific filters like #, @, ! and [ ] to organize content. Whilst this may seem obscure initially, it improves time and customization, as well as being quicker than going into drop-down boxes and checklists. For reference, a hash tag is used to tag certain words (think Twitter), allowing you to group certain tasks together. They can be used for time (#urgent and #quick), importance (#high and #low) or really anything you wish. @ is used for names, for example @Mark or @Stacy. ! is used to gauge the priority of a task – the more exclamation marks, the higher priority the task is. Finally, square brackets [ ] are used for dates. Crosscheck automatically configures dates into words like Tomorrow and Next Thursday depending on the date you type within the brackets, eg. [19 August 2010] transforms into Thursday. To get started, add new groups for your tasks. You can have as many as you like, and each are colour coded for quick viewing.
The portrait mode interface is refreshingly simple, with almost all of the iPad’s generous display being taken up by the content you have created. This content can be sorted manually, by priority – the number of exclamation marks, when it was created, when it is due – the date within square brackets or by an auto-sort feature, which keeps all tasks in their respective groups, but then orders it by priority within each group. Up top is the ability to create a new task, to export all tasks via e-mail and to synchronize shared items. Despite the initial $9.99 purchase, it appears that you need to buy an additional $9.99 subscription to make use of this synchronizing feature. The year’s subscription package also provides TLS encryption for document safe-keeping, and an unlimited API access – allowing other applications to link into Crosscheck.
The landscape mode of Crosscheck is where the application really feels like an official Apple app. A fixed Groups column on the lefthand side of the screen (also available by tapping ‘Groups’ in portrait mode) provides the ability to search and filter content by their group, as well as filtering by the @ and ! tags. The number of tasks within each group and filter are also visible, as well as the ability to see all upcoming items.
The interface in creating a new task is also intuitive and simple. Choose what group the task should be in and type away. An always-updating list of filters is present, specifically ones that you have created, meaning there is no need to type them in manually if you have written them before. In addition, # @ and [ ] are always present, however the priority filter – an exclamation mark – is missing. Nonetheless, the existence of these keys significantly reduces time spent typing, particularly seeing as the iPad’s keyboard requires an extra tap just to get to a non-alphabet character keyboard layout. Whenever an application is marked as done, it is crossed out with a strikethru.
The time spent learning Crosscheck is minimal – important for a productivity application. There is no excess to the application; a good use of space and focus on content is provided. The heavy use of official Apple integration in Crosscheck through the iPad SDK – for example the way to sort content or mail all tasks – gives the application an official feel to it. In other words, if you know how to use an iPad, you know how to use Crosscheck. I am impressed that it has been able to retain its simplicity and ease of use with the features that it has.
However, there are a few drawbacks. First of all, despite all of my searching, I couldn’t find a way to delete a specific task (it can only be marked as complete). Even after marking a task as complete and quitting the application, it remains there when you next open Crosscheck. In addition, Crosscheck lacks password protection – even though this may not concern mainstream users, those who are looking for local security for their private content will not be able to find it here. Even a basic level of local encryption would be a welcome addition to an otherwise impressive application.
Somewhat disappointing is the need to buy a subscription even after you’ve purchased the application to make use of the advanced features (you need a subscription if you want to collaborate with others by sharing groups and to-do items). However, a major flaw is the syncing capability itself. With no desktop app coupling the iPad version, the only form of syncing that can be done without an additional subscription is not a sync at all: merely an e-mail. However, if you do opt for the subscription package, Crosscheck syncs with a number of calendars with to-do capabilities, including Apple’s iCal and Google’s own calendar. Microsoft Outlook is also supported. Data can be exported manually through an XML document that “describes all your groups and to-do items” and the subscription package even provides an RSS Activity feed of all your tasks.
In conclusion, Crosscheck is a productivity application with an edge. The smart design coupled with excellent integration makes it a contender for one of the best designed to-do applications out there. If you’re prepared to shell out a bit more for the subscription package to enjoy full syncing, this might just be what you’ve been looking for. When used in conjunction with a productivity application on your Mac or PC, Crosscheck suddenly makes sense.
[ Crosscheck Review is a post from 148Apps ]
iAnnotatePDF Review
iAnnotatePDF Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website
Developer: Wolter Group
Price: $9.99
Version: 1.2
Price: $9.99
Version: 1.2
Design Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Features Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Integration Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Whenever Apple launched iWork for iPad earlier this year, it redefined the capabilities of the iPad. No longer is the iPad an output device that provides content – it is now an input device that allows for content to be created easily and seamlessly. iAnnotatePDF aims to take this a step further. And they have.
To get started – you’ll need some PDFs. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of ways in which iAnnotatePDF can acquire PDF files – be it through iTunes file sharing, the official Aji PDF service, DropBox or even by searching on the web. An in-built browser allows you to search for any document you need, and iAnnotatePDF will work in the background downloading the PDF as soon as you tap on it.
A directory of PDFs is provided with a plethora of ways to search and sort (see screenshots attached). Multiple documents can be opened at once through in-built tabs like a browser, and all documents can be exported via mail and iTunes – fresh with any annotations you may have added.
The annotation tools are equally impressive. The sidebar on the right deals with the main tools: adding a box of text; a pencil for free highlighting; a ruler for addings straight lines; a highlighter for highlighting specific lines of text; and underlining and strikethru options also exist. All are color customizable with a tap. The menu bar on the bottom provides a search; the ability to add a bookmark (useful for longer documents); scrolling between pages; clipboard for copying; and a width-locker which keeps the document at a certain width whenever enabled.
These bars are customizable with some thirty different buttons, as well as custom levels of transparency and overall size. See the screenshots attached for all tools available. One feature worth pointing out is that whenever you select a tool, it will remain selected indefinitely, with a little graphic at the top left hand side of your iPad screen where you can close it. Scrolling is done by two fingers whenever a tool is selected.
The application’s only real drawback is its integration. Although the tools themselves work fine, the application feels very third-party. To me, it is like the application was designed and then ported over to the iPad, rather than being designed specifically for
Nonetheless, iAnnotatePDF is an excellent application. Whilst you may not use it every day, when you do you’ll remember exactly why you bought it. It’s simple to use and has more than enough annotation tools. And we weren’t the only ones impressed with it – Stanford School of Medicine have just acquired it.
[ iAnnotatePDF Review is a post from 148Apps ]