Loose Leaf - App Review

A picture is worth a thousand words; although some wordsmiths may well disagree, for the rest of us mortals, it is probably true. 'Loose Leaf' perhaps sees itself as your gateway to using various types of pictures to help communicate or also to help represent things in your mind's eye.

Now for the ACIDS test:

Aesthetics
It's perhaps easiest to take you from a blank page and introduce the tools... this isn't necessarily the order in which you would actually use the App.

Use your finger to write anything you wish, in a variety of colours, and rub out as required.

Having given the App access to your photos, you can import them into the App. The nifty part is that you can crop them, again with a finger movement (so there is no restriction to rectangles). You can then use two fingers to move the cropped part.

A brilliant part of this is that if you move the cropped image to the edge of your page, it effectively becomes another tool, and will appear as sun on a blank page, thereby making it easy to use the cropped image on another page.

Shaking any scrap image will change the layer on which it is, they giving you control over the 'depth' of any given image; this is great for collages.

Once you have a number of pages in your scrapbook, you need to pinch the whole page to get access to all the pages me then pick the one you wish to edit.

You can easily export your images to a multitude of social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter.

Cost
Unbelievably, you get all this for $0 (absolutely free).

Indispensability
Indispensable? Probably not. Useful? Absolutely.

Dependability
This is an iPad only App.

Although the App can be used in both portrait and landscape modes, the tools remain as for portrait; this isn't actually a problem.

Security
The linking to social media is the usual double edged sword.

ACIDS Test Rating:

Layers of photos with drawings.

To find out how the ACIDS Test works, click here.

You can get Loose Leaf here and support for the App here.

Orby Widgets - App Review

Are you an iOS notification centre fanatic? If you are, this App is right up your street; if you're not then, take a look at this App as it just might convert you.

Now for the ACIDS test:

Aesthetics
What this App actually does is allow you to add loads of widgets to your notification centre; you choose which ones, and how they behave.

In order top do this, scroll from the top of your iOS screen to open the notification centre, then scroll to the bottom of the notification centre to 'edit' and then add any of the Orby widgets you fancy.

The options available to you are:

App Launcher - Choose any of your Apps to launch directly from here
Battery - charge left and estimated time until you run out
Calculator - this is a calculator within the notification centre
Conversations - direct access for various messaging applications
CPU - displays used and available
Memory - shows usage and by type
Network - keep track of wi-fi and cellular usage
Network Addresses - displays Mac and IP addresses of network to which you are connected
Runtime - displays when your iOS device was last booted
Share - Twitter and Facebook feeds, including the ability to share currently playing music
Speed Call - Tap on the contact to call (this is excellent)
Storage - displays used and available

Cost
The App costs a nominal $1.

Indispensability
If you don't use the notification centre then, you won't use the App but, with all the options available, it could well be the time to start.

Dependability
It works!

Security
As usual, you just need to be a little careful with the direct connections to Facebook and Twitter, if you use them.

ACIDS Test Rating:

Notification centre used as a tool.

To find out how the ACIDS Test works, click here.

You can get Orby Widgets here and support for the App here.

Rain Sounds HQ - App Review

Do you have problems getting to sleep? This App claims that its calming sounds will help you fall into the arms of Morpheus.

If you're 'enjoying' a heat wave, you might find that things feel a little cooler with some of these sounds in the background.

Now for the ACIDS test:

Aesthetics
The App comes with 'Cologne Thunderstorm', 'Oregon Coastal Rain forest', 'Rain on Japanese Temple', and 'Small River in Scotland' pre loaded. To play any of these, just tap the icon. You can then simply listen to the sound, or have a timed play (10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90 minutes), or add it to a mix of your own. In this case you can adjust the individual volumes so as to create the effect you want.

Cost
The basic App is free and there are more sounds available from related Apps by the developer.

Indispensability
If you have difficulty getting to sleep (or want to try the 'cooling' the atmosphere), it's worth giving it a try.

Dependability
Rain Sounds HQ is an iPhone App which works in 1x and 2x modes on an iPad. It is extremely simple to use and reliable.

Security
This is a self contained App so without prima facie issues.

ACIDS Test Rating:

Relaxing...

To find out how the ACIDS Test works, click here.

You can get Rain Sounds HQ here and support for the App here.

Srcfari - App Review

Do you sometimes wonder how something was done on a website, want to find something specific, or are simply nosey?

Srcfari is just what you've been waiting for, as far as iOS is concerned.

Now for the ACIDS test:

Aesthetics
Enter a website url into the address bar of the App. This will then display the page, just as you would see it in Safari, or any other browser.

You can now browse the assets (style sheets, scripts, images) that are on the sheet, as well as getting the source code for the sheet.

You can then also copy the source to the clipboard, or e-mail it.

Cost
The App costs $2.

Indispensability
Well, that really depends on what use you plan on making of the App; your call.

Dependability
You need to make sure that you allow time for a page to fully load.

Security
This is a standalone App. The security issue is really about how you will use your snooping.

ACIDS Test Rating:

Useful specialised tool.

To find out how the ACIDS Test works, click here.

You can get Srcfari here and support for the App here.

ViewExif - App Review

This App gives you access to an amazing amount of information about your photos (remember that when you 'share').

There is also another very useful aspect when you compare 2 photographs and attempt to discover why one is better than the other.

Now for the ACIDS test:

Aesthetics
The App includes a 'user manual'. This actually consists of a few screen shots but makes it clear how to use the App.

The important part is that, once you have installed the App, you don't actually use it...

In fact you go to your Photos App, pick any photos, and then go to the icon at the bottom left of the screen. Choose More and then turn on ViewExif. You can now go back to your photo and press ViewExif.

The information you will see includes:

Name
Size
Dimensions
Date and Time
ISO Speed
F number
Exposure time
Exposure mode
Focal length
Flash (did or did not fire)
Equivalent focal length in 35mm film
Colour space
DPI width
DPI height
Depth
Brightness
White balance
Altitude
Latitude
Longitude
Location
Camera make
Camera model
Lens make
Lens model

... more than you can shake a stick at.

Cost
The App costs a nominal $1.

Indispensability
Obviously, you continue to take photos as you did before but, you have a whole load more information available.

Dependability
The information which could be accurately tested proved to be correct.

Security
This App is wholly downloaded and self-contained.

ACIDS Test Rating:

Amaze yourself at the detail stored with your snaps.

To find out how the ACIDS Test works, click here.

You can get ViewExif here and support for the App here.

Daily Goals - App Review

According to the developers, this is 'an ultra simple and colourful app that helps you keep track of your habits.

Set goals, track progress, achieve target... well, that's the theory at least.

Now for the ACIDS test:

Aesthetics
You start off by adding a 'habit', give it a colour, a schedule (choose the days or the number of times per week), set start and end dates, and opt in or out of receiving a reminder on appropriate days.

You will now have graphical representations of your actions, on a calendar basis (history), per habit basis, as well as an overall analysis.

Cost
The App cost $4.

Indispensability
Anything that helps you achieve your targets is a welcome addition to a routine. This App could give the visual cues that motivate you.

Dependability
The App works, it's up to you to make the effort.

Security
You can export your App data in .xlsx (Excel) or SQLite format.

ACIDS Test Rating:

If you don't succeed, give the App a try.

To find out how the ACIDS Test works, click here.

You can get Daily Goals here and support for the App here.