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Available In: App Store |  |
Price: $1.99 |
“Pronto? Buongiorno. Arrivederci!” This was a typical conversation between my wife and me during the weeks leading up to our honeymoon trip to Italy. Neither of us had any experience speaking Italian, so we downloaded a few podcasts and began practicing as much as we could. I also downloaded a free app that used Google’s translation dictionary to fill in during emergencies. What I really wish we had had was something more visual, something that could help us with pronunciation, and something that could be quicker and less cumbersome than a big dictionary. [Read more…]
One of the reasons I bought a Wii was so that I could run, jump, ski, and hula hoop all in the comforts of my home. The Wii and corresponding Wii Fit have revolutionized the gaming industry, and I suspect that Apple has taken some notes and plan to do the same with portable gaming. Honestly, I didn’t expect to experience anything close to the same with my iPhone, but the folks at Naquatic, the makers of Touch Ski 3D, attempt to prove me wrong with their newly updated game. 
As a former SlingPlayer user on my Windows Mobile Samsung i730 and i760, I was anxiously awaiting the release of the live television streaming application for the iPhone. For nearly a year now, I have been without the live feed of my Slingbox (recently upgraded to a SB Solo due to a change in cable service) on my mobile phone. There have been a few wedding receptions, baby showers, and dull meetings where I could have benefited from catching some live sports coverage on my iPhone. After months of rumors leading up to the eventual release in the App Store this past Wednesday, the moment has finally arrived. Thanks to Brooke and the folks at Sling Media, I got a chance to play with the pricey app on my iPhone. Now, let’s get this out there right away: SlingPlayer only works on WiFi. No 3G, no EDGE, only WiFi. You can read about why and why people are mad about this, but I’m going to hold SlingMedia free from blame for this, and instead, I’m only going to judge the application on its performance under these conditions. 
Upon browsing the App Store one day, I remember stumbling upon Air Sharing, a file storage solution and document viewer for the iPhone. Since it was being offered for free as a promotion, I downloaded it, but didn’t really explore the program until a few weeks later. Since that time, I have reviewed two other similar programs for AppleiPhoneSchool: 
As a math and science teacher, I do a fair share of tutoring to make some additional income. I often carry my trusty TI-83 Plus (special edition blue, baby!) with me, but there have been several times when all I had was my iPhone. I will admit that the included iPhone calculator makes for a pretty decent substitute, and I get my scientific calculator functions when I rotate to landscape mode. However, there remained some functionality that was to be desired, and having a one-line display seems to remind me of the difference between a TI-30 and its bigger cousin, TI-83. 
One of the first apps I downloaded was Apple’s very own Remote app, and though I don’t use it very much, I was definitely impressed with its ease of use and functionality. It was cool to be able to control my iTunes library on my home computer with my phone. With the success of the Remote app, I wondered what else I could control with my iPhone: my T.V, my lights, or my thermostat? With Nam’s Remote, I don’t get to do any of these things, but I do get access to a few interesting features. 
I don’t play video games much, but when I do, I often go straight to the sports simulation games. Madden Football, NBA Live, Earl Weaver Baseball (OK, I’m dating myself now…) Thus, I was excited to give X’s and O’s Football a test drive after seeing some decent reviews in the app store. 
If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you’ve come to know me as a person who’s very interested in being organized and a big believer in Getting Things Done. As mentioned in my recent review of 
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