Readers’ App Reviews – February 2015

Apps from readers like you!

Apps from readers like you!

I’ve got another month of inspiring apps from the community to share with you!

You guys never stop producing top notch apps, so I don’t plan to stop showcasing as many as I can. ;]

This month we’ve got:

• An app that makes buying sports tickets a breeze
• An ASCII-art photo extension that will amaze you
• An instrument you can play by shopping
• And predictably, much more!

Keep reading to see your fellow readers’ creations this month!

Fifty Five

Fifty Five is a numbers game. It will make you think. And its a lot of fun.

Fifty Five’s board hosts number tiles 1-5. Comparing numbers gives you points. swipe a 2 over a 4 and get 24 points. Swipe a 4 over 2 and get 42 points. But the real magic is in the multiplier.

Building chains improves your multiplier. Swiping 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 4, and 4 to 5 gives you a complete chain getting you 5 extra moves and your multiplier increases. You can protect your multiplier mid chain by swiping matching numbers.

In a world of Threes clones, its nice to see Fifty Five is as fun as it is unique. :]

• Author: Lars Christian Olsen @videodane
• Most useful tutorial: Sprite Kit Tutorial: Making a Universal App: Part 1
• App Store Link: Check it out!

E-Z Park

Have you ever forgotten where you parked? How about left a meter running too long? Worry no more. E-Z Park will making your parking a breeze.

E-Z Park lets you tag your parking space using the GPS in your phone to make sure you’re never lost. Plus you can set a timer for when your parking meter expires. E-Z Park will alert you when you’re getting close to your meter limit based on the time of your choosing. Don’t come back to a parking ticket ever again.

• Author: Nelson Polano @dec0dig0
• Most useful tutorial: iOS 7 Blur Effects with GPUImage
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Barcodas

Barcodes are all around us. We use them to track inventory, identify things, and more. But have you ever used a barcode for music? Barcodas is here to change just that.

With Barcodas, simply scan any barcode and you’ll immediately hear it converted to a musical tune. You can tweak pitches, speed, and scales to customize your new barcode melody. Its really cool! Each barcode becomes its own rhythmic synthesizer allowing you to create unique music in just a snap of your camera.

Of course Barcodas allows you to save your favorite barcodes. And you can share the barcodes for others to scan and hear as well.

• Author: Leo van der Veen @nr37nl
• Most useful tutorial: How To Use Git Source Control with Xcode in iOS 7
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Volotic

Volotic is an awesome nonlinear sequencer for your iPad.

Volotic makes it easy to experiment and create awesome songs from a library of towers, each with a unique impact to your music. There are over 50 different towers to choose from. There are drums, scales, tone changers, beat emitters, and more.

Volotic also supports 3D sound. Moving the center of your musical creation will adjust its output. Its way cool!

Volotic has manual tuning support for the audiophiles among us. And you can easily record your composition on your Mac if you’re using iOS8 and Yosemite.

• Author: Scott Garner @scottgarner
• Most useful tutorial: Unity Cheat Sheet and Reference
• App Store Link: Check it out!

ASCIImator

ASCIImator is one of the coolest photo extensions I’ve seen yet.

I’ve always wanted a quick way to convert images into ASCII Art. You know, those painstaking creations from letters and symbols. Turns out, I needed to look no further than the RayWenderlich.com community!

ASCIImator works great with iOS8’s new photo extensions letting you ASCIIfy any of your pictures without even leaving the photos app. Its incredible how easy it is. And best of all, since its using iOS8 native photo extensions, your original is a tap away.

ASCIImator has a few settings for which symbols are allowed and the font size you draw at for detail. Give it a try, its a ton of fun.

• Author: Jonathan Buchanan @_asciimator
• Most useful tutorial: Intro to Object-Oriented Design in Swift
• App Store Link: Check it out!

2UPTOP

2UPTOP is an app for all the soccer (football? :p) fans out there.

2UPTOP is an easy to use line up visualizer for the die hard fans. Simply select your favorite team, choose the 11 players ready to play, and drag and drop them on the field into their positions. It couldn’t be easier.

2UPTOP pulls rosters from 10 of Europe’s most popular leagues like the Premier League, League One, and the Scottish Premier. If they’ve missed one, the app also allows you to create custom players to fill in the gaps.

Of course, no fan app would be complete without the ability to share your formation. The app will generate a beautiful field image of your lineup to share on your favorite social networks.

• Author: Neil Sheppard @2uptop
• Most useful tutorial: Image Processing in iOS Part 1: Raw Bitmap Modification
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Rocket Renegade

Rocket Renegade harkens the arcade space shooters of the past and brings fond memories with it.

Rocket Renegade features drag and drop steering to control your lone shooter and auto fire making it easy to one handed on the train.

The soundtrack is fantastic as you blast away the drones of your enemies. There are 12 types of drones to battle, 10 unique bosses, and asteroid levels in between.

Even the background looks great as the stars rush past you on your mission to free the galaxy.

• Author: Chris Brannon @thebrannon
• Most useful tutorial: iOS 8 Metal Tutorial with Swift: Getting Started
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Gametime

Gametime makes buy tickets to your favorite sport a breeze.

Gametime shows available tickets, often with discounts up to 60% off, in a real time streaming list for the game of your choosing. Each ticket shows an awesome panoramic shot from the seat you’re thinking about getting so you know the exact view you’re paying for.

A simple two tap process is all it takes to book your seat. No printing necessary, just show your phone at the door! Its serving a limited set of markets but adding several each week. Check the list and give it a try!

• Author: brad griffith @braddgriffith
• Most useful tutorial: Integrating Facebook and Parse Tutorial: Part 1
• App Store Link: Check it out!