Larry the App Guy: My App Reviews

[PicsbyJCG]

The apps that really get me are those that require you to log into FaceBook or their own servers.

Exactly. Threw out an interesting app the other day, because as soon as I started it, I got a nag screen: "connect via Facebook or create an account". There should be laws against that...

Droid world where most apps want access to everything

Well said. Even lousy flashlight apps keeping track of where you are.

 

[Lzed]

Don't make the same mistake I did...

Best HDR Pro by CYS Creative
https://appsto.re/ca/VfVL4.i

Well this app is not worth a plugged nickel... Total scrap.
In description it says auto, semi-auto or manual modes.
The app only has one mode, HDR is either on or off, no semi-auto nor any manual modes.
Difference between HDR on and off is very minor.
All editing is Aviary so only way to get an image that even looks HDR is to play around in curves.
It does save images at full device resolution.
Because it's claims are mostly false in AppZapp it's going to be a developer that I will block, don't need nor want to see anything else. I hate developers that have false claims in descriptions...
Currently supposedly on sale for 60% off at $2.99US

Will give iTunes supports new refund system a try. Actually it's more interesting then this app
If you go to iTunes support, then account and billing then scroll down to report a problem.
For apps you have bought in the past 90 days you will find them in a new list with the apps icon, name, price etc. select it and it opens a requester where you describe the problem. Send it and a few seconds later get the message that it's been refunded.
The other day I bought Harris Shutter Camera - Lomo Style... on my iPad I get a blank black screen and will not take an image, nor do anything else. So I went through this new iTunes setup and in only a few minutes it was refunded and account within an hour showed it. Much simpler then the old system where you actually were issued or denied by an actual person and took normally a couple days before they would approve and then a few more days before it actually was refunded and showed.

Now all I have to do is wait for the app to show in the list so probably by morning...

Edit
Showed up in the list this morning so I got my refund (pending) the message said their normal 3-5 days for it to show in iTunes. Last time was only a couple hours so will see how long this time.

 

[lisamjw]

Don't make the same mistake I did...

Best HDR Pro by CYS Creative
https://appsto.re/ca/VfVL4.i

Well this app is not worth a plugged nickel... Total scrap.
In description it says auto, semi-auto or manual modes.
The app only has one mode, HDR is either on or off, no semi-auto nor any manual modes.
Difference between HDR on and off is very minor.
All editing is Aviary so only way to get an image that even looks HDR is to play around in curves.
It does save images at full device resolution.
Because it's claims are mostly false in AppZapp it's going to be a developer that I will block, don't need nor want to see anything else. I hate developers that have false claims in descriptions...
Currently supposedly on sale for 60% off at $2.99US

Will give iTunes supports new refund system a try. Actually it's more interesting then this app
If you go to iTunes support, then account and billing then scroll down to report a problem.
For apps you have bought in the past 90 days you will find them in a new list with the apps icon, name, price etc. select it and it opens a requester where you describe the problem. Send it and a few seconds later get the message that it's been refunded.
The other day I bought Harris Shutter Camera - Lomo Style... on my iPad I get a blank black screen and will not take an image, nor do anything else. So I went through this new iTunes setup and in only a few minutes it was refunded and account within an hour showed it. Much simpler then the old system where you actually were issued or denied by an actual person and took normally a couple days before they would approve and then a few more days before it actually was refunded and showed.

Now all I have to do is wait for the app to show in the list so probably by morning...

Thanks for the info, Larry!

 

[Lzed]

littlebig by Hyojin Mo
https://appsto.re/ca/5szu5.i
Currently free

No ads, or not that I have seen.
No in-apps
Basic exposure adjustments: Exposure, Highlights, Shadows, Brightness, Contrast, Temperature, Tint, Saturation and Levels.
Nothing more then those, ie no textures, gradients etc.
Once you set everything via sliders you can save that as a filter that you can name.
The only one I find strange is sliders to adjust Levels, I would rather have the more common curves graph.
Portrait mode only.
Will load larger images but save is max 4096x4096 or 4096 long side
Only problem is basic exposure adjustments are in many filtering apps so why would I need a standalone one.

 

[Lzed]

dubble studio - mix your own photos by Dubble Me Ltd
https://appsto.re/ca/d-JY5.i
Free app

Brian's comment from AppZapp
I was very excited to try this out, imagining a full-frame version of Diana. Aaaaarrggghhh!!! Imagine my disappointment when I realized this is just another composition-destroying app the forces you to squarify your photos. It could have been a good app but instead it's a dud. Down with the square monoculture.

And my reply to Brian
Basically an offline version of their app Dubble.
Ability to save is via an in-app that also removes the watermark.
The watermark is not very big, simply two overlapping dots (like the icon for the app).
No adjustments, blend modes etc
No random selection of photos, you pick them.
Single in-app is $0.99US

There is way to save though. Go to other sharing options and you can add BigPhoto and open it in BigPhoto and resize it or simply save it. Resolution is not too terrible at 2400x2400 when opened in BigPhoto. EDIT, at least first was 2400, it seems to take the size from one image but can't figure out which one and last couple have been 1200x1200.

If you squarify ahead of time and crop you are left with a 2400 long side. If you open, crop in Big Photo you can easily save larger, I tried doubling size and still looks pretty good.

I would like to see a balance slider for the images and blend modes. With the app Dubble they have been listening and making improvements based on what the users want. Hopefully they will here too.

Bridge image run through Instazz to squarify at it largest save resolution which is 3072x3072 the second image was a Harris image.
Open from this app into BigPhoto, cropped and sized changed to 3000 long side

Bridge image run through Instazz to squarify at it largest save resolution which is 3072x3072 the second image was a Dubble blend of one of my Harris images and another users what looks like sea creatures.
Open from this app into BigPhoto, cropped and sized changed to 3000 long side

 

[Lzed]

Photo Art - turn your photos into artistic sketches & drawings by VicMan LLC
https://appsto.re/ca/5QCY5.i
Kind of mixed feelings with this app.
Some of the 20 effects are quite nice.
Different effects seem to save at different sizes, ie their oil painting saved at 900x900 (1:1 ratio) or 1000x900 but their watercolour window (most of the image is a background mask, your image is in the window) saved at 1600x1819.
With the effects that use a mask you crop to 1:1 or around that, some are slightly off 1:1 but they allow you to shift the image in a mask before.
I really dislike that it uploads your image to some unknown place on the Internet applies the effect and downloads it. It doesn't ask you to create an account or sign in and description doesn't tell you much.

Banner ads on some screens and ads when you process
No in-apps to get rid of ads

If you have their Pho.to Lab app then you have all of these effects plus a lot more. If you have their Pho.to Lab Pro while save resolution is about the same size as this app there are only occasional pop up ads for their apps, but no advertising ads and no watermark. But it still uploads your image and processes them then downloads.

Resized with BigPhoto

 

[zenjenny]

Larry love the thread, thank you! Already *gasp* seen a few apps I hadn't heard of

Just one thing, though, Larry:

I w a N t

M o R e

P. i. C. t. u. R. e. S

Please ?

​

 

[zenjenny]

Thank you Larry! I absolutely do not need any more art/sketch/paint apps -- but I won't be able to resist, I know I wont Plus I'll prob max out the mobile data thingie bcs I'm in the middle of nowhere and, yknow - two dots on the coverage thingie What's that? Wait till I go home ? In just a few days? Don't be silly

 

[Lzed]

Thank you Larry! I absolutely do not need any more art/sketch/paint apps -- but I won't be able to resist, I know I wont Plus I'll prob max out the mobile data thingie bcs I'm in the middle of nowhere and, yknow - two dots on the coverage thingie What's that? Wait till I go home ? In just a few days? Don't be silly

 

[Lzed]

And another to avoid!

Photo Zen by Paul Chemwor
https://appsto.re/ca/k4u55.i

Nothing but Aviary....
Slightly different UI.
Some things work about as expected but some don't.
Most effects in other apps you can get at least a preview, not here, the icons are your preview and you can't undo unless you go back and reload the image again...
Some of the emoticons didn't work at all and emoticons and stickers are very pixelated.
It does save input=output up to 4096x4096 but anything larger crashes the app.
Basically nothing but scrap, if you want Aviary at least get the real thing....

 

[FundyBrian]

Camera Plus: Capture Remotely with AirSnap
You need this app installed on 2 devices and connected either by wifi or Bluetooth. Wifi gives better quality image on the remote viewing device, in this case an iPad 3. The pictures are saved on the camera roll of the "camera" device while a lower resolution image appears on the remote. The remote viewing image on the iPad is not very big, about half the size as on the iPhone screen. It is enough that you can tell when the subject is in place but not enough to tell if it is in focus.
I used this app this morning to photograph Chickadees with my iPhone 6 and Moment tele lens. I mounted them on a (really tall) tripod about 12-14" from a branch near my bird feeder. Then I waited for one of the braver birds to pose. It took a while...
Here is a full frame shot from my iPhone 6. The camera saves full device resolution.

This is full frame with tele from about 12-14", not zoomed in. In fact it doesn't seem like you can zoom in remote mode. That would have been really useful. However, when I tried to zoom the camera it dropped out of remote mode. (Edit: when I tried it indoors later the camera does zoom but not remotely).

The app has only 3 focus positions "far, normal, and macro" and I was using the "macro" setting. Normally with a camera app that allows manual focusing the Moment tele will focus at about 10". No closer. The app doesn't quite get the closest focusing distance. If you look at the lower branch, it is a couple of inches closer than the upper and not in sharp focus. Usually when a bird is perched it reaches forward a bit closer than the branch distance. On the upper branch this is OK. (Edit: I think next time I will try a +0.5 close-up diopter to focus a bit closer).

In the second shot this bird is angled back from the branch which brought it back in focus. Other shots of birds facing forward on the lower branch were out of focus.
The app has an exposure slider on the remote viewing camera and I used this to darken the exposure because the dark background would tend to make the exposure too light.
There is some delay when triggering the camera over wifi. Not significant for most subjects but for fast moving subjects like small birds any delay at all can completely miss the shot. Which means I made lots of shots (50 or so) and discarded 2/3 of them. Of those 4or5 were pretty good.
There is another delay of a couple of seconds after one picture has been made before the second can be shot, for the time it takes to load the first image over wifi.
The remote control worked perfectly the whole time I had the camera set up outside (close to an hour) and never shut itself off. It was -5*C outside so I needed my phone & Motrr plugged into remote battery power to keep them working.

At the same time as I was using Camera Plus: on my iPhone 6 and iPad I was using my old iPhone 5 with the Motrr app and Bluetooth to operate my Motrr robotic head. This allowed me to adjust the camera angle remotely. At one time during the session the Motrr lost the Bluetooth link and I had to go outside and reset it[emoji53]. However it was very handy to be able to make small adjustments to the framing remotely.

 

[Mikeraboy]

I don't quite understand what you did, but they are great photos

 

[FundyBrian]

I don't quite understand what you did, but they are great photos

Next time I'll take a picture of the set-up.

 

[zenjenny]

FundyBrian you look soooo coool, Brian! But I'm not sure is it the suit or the cap.

Agree - very nice! I think he should pop his ski goggles on - to complete the look.

 

[FundyBrian]

Don't make the same mistake I did...

Best HDR Pro by CYS Creative
https://appsto.re/ca/VfVL4.i

Well this app is not worth a plugged nickel... Total scrap.
In description it says auto, semi-auto or manual modes.
The app only has one mode, HDR is either on or off, no semi-auto nor any manual modes.
Difference between HDR on and off is very minor.
All editing is Aviary so only way to get an image that even looks HDR is to play around in curves.
It does save images at full device resolution.
Because it's claims are mostly false in AppZapp it's going to be a developer that I will block, don't need nor want to see anything else. I hate developers that have false claims in descriptions...
Currently supposedly on sale for 60% off at $2.99US

Will give iTunes supports new refund system a try. Actually it's more interesting then this app
If you go to iTunes support, then account and billing then scroll down to report a problem.
For apps you have bought in the past 90 days you will find them in a new list with the apps icon, name, price etc. select it and it opens a requester where you describe the problem. Send it and a few seconds later get the message that it's been refunded.
The other day I bought Harris Shutter Camera - Lomo Style... on my iPad I get a blank black screen and will not take an image, nor do anything else. So I went through this new iTunes setup and in only a few minutes it was refunded and account within an hour showed it. Much simpler then the old system where you actually were issued or denied by an actual person and took normally a couple days before they would approve and then a few more days before it actually was refunded and showed.

Now all I have to do is wait for the app to show in the list so probably by morning...

Edit
Showed up in the list this morning so I got my refund (pending) the message said their normal 3-5 days for it to show in iTunes. Last time was only a couple hours so will see how long this time.

Thanks for the info Larry. I didn't know about the new refund scheme.

 

[Lzed]

It's a good setup, no more having to justify it to some tech that doesn't understand or when they think your trying to refund to much. At least for the ones bought in the last couple months, longer you would have to go through a real person... And I suppose Apple will have it set up so if you keep returning stuff then a person may intervene.
Games might be looked at harder, don't know.

 

[FundyBrian]

3D Camera (on iphone6) and 3D Camera Studio on (iPad 3) by Juicy Bits.
This isn't a new pair of apps but the first time I have used them in a couple of years. These apps create different types of stereo images. You shoot with the iPhone camera and transfer the images to the iPad version for development and viewing. To make a proper stereo pair of images the best way to do it is to use a tripod plus a focusing rail, or macro rail, bellows rail, etc, EXCEPT, you turn the focusing rail sideways! This allows you to take first the left image, then slide the camera right, exactly parallel, by about 4 cm. Then take the right shot. I say "about" because a distant scenic shot can use more separation while a close up will need less. It is important that the 2 images be separated by parallel movement and not by panning.
I see I forgot to mention I was also using my Moment tele lens, but not shown is the +4 CU diopter I taped on to focus closer.

Once the 2 shots are made export them over to the iPad via wifi, or whatever, and import them into the 3D Camera Studio as a new project. Once the project is selected you have the 2 images superimposed and you align them by sliding the top one over until the most critical part matches. You won't be able to match the whole image or you wouldn't have stereo. Then you choose your method of viewing. Colour Anaglyph for the standard red/green stereo glasses, Grey Anaglyph, Stereogram (parallel)(stereo pair), or Wigglegram. Since I happened to have a stereo viewer I chose Stereogram. You then see the two images side-by-side on the iPad screen. Then place your viewer over the iPad screen and align the lens spacing until the white dots over the pictures align into one dot. Now when you look at the image you should have striking 3D!

This is a Stereogram (parallel pair).
You can experiment a bit with the image alignment to see how it affects the 3D rendition.

This is the Colour Anaglyph type for red/green glasses.

You can create all of the 3D image types on the iPhone version, too, they are just much smaller to look at.
These 2 apps used to communicate directly to transfer images between the iPhone and iPad but this time I couldn't make it work. Perhaps it needs an update for iOS 8.
If you have 3D Camera Studio on your iPad you can import this image and see the 3D effect. Besides that I can't see any way to share this 3D image unless I try the glasses method.
This last image is unaligned and then viewed as a Colour Anaglyph giving a "far out, man" effect. (For the fun of it).

The Mobi app crashed about 6 times while doing this so I'm hoping for the best when I press reply.

 

[FundyBrian]

I forgot to mention that the whole reason I was playing with long sleeping apps is because there is a big snowstorm going on so I'm housebound.

 

[Lzed]

While the forecast was for maybe a bit of snow overnight we never got any, right around freezing but wind is quite cold so it feels worst. Supposed to be cool today/tomorrow then warming up again.

Etchings by MindSea Development Inc.
https://appsto.re/ca/9zX2G.i
Some interesting effects but may only hold your interest for a while.
11 effects with another 6 available though the single $0.99US in-app.
You can adjust line thickness and brightness.
Even though in the app it doesn't mention it but if you shake your device it does have a randomize function. In system setting you can disable this.
You can preview all of the effects in the in-app using your image
Saves at a very good input=output up to 3300x3300
While the app when you import an image shows a 1:1 cropping box you can just load it and in the preview it will look like a squarified image with the bands. However if you go to share, scroll to the right there is an advanced export option to export at input=output up to 3300 and it retains the originals aspect ratio if you disable the square crop. You don't get the masks that are used in the app but you can use another app to add a border if you want.
The app is currently free, reg price is $1.99US

And because zenjenny wants Pics, I will

Woke up this morning and three blooms had started opening on her Hibiscus tree, two pink, one red, lots more coming.

These images use the standard save with a 1:1 crop and both use their masks for the border.

The following images is using the save from its Advanced Export option so no borders or masks

From the Florence in-app Pak...
Alice Effect

And their Zombie Effect

 

[zenjenny]

 

[zenjenny]

Thanks so much Larry - Your reviews are so clear, detailed and helpful. I like that you set them out with a lot of white space -- IE as opposed to in a block paragraph. Makes for much easier reading!

Also like that your reviews follow roughly the same structure of info. And I like the amount of info you include - nice & concise, but extra stuff like adjusting settings, your contact with devs, planned upgrades you know of and other bits is there is one wants it.

And yes i love the pictures ! Holds it all together for me!! Plus you gave some very nice pictures I esp like your garden shots -- that last I think is a zygocactus (? Spell) . I have one that limped along with poor care for years . Who knew they could thrive in a mid-Canada winter?

PS APP-reciate ("app"reciate, geddit?!? ) FundyBrian & GroovyGouvy adding their reviews, too Thank you Gouvy & Brian !

 

[Lzed]

Thanks so much Larry - Your reviews are so clear, detailed and helpful. I like that you set them out with a lot of white space -- IE as opposed to in a block paragraph. Makes for much easier reading!

Also like that your reviews follow roughly the same structure of info. And I like the amount of info you include - nice & concise, but extra stuff like adjusting settings, your contact with devs, planned upgrades you know of and other bits is there is one wants it.

And yes i love the pictures ! Holds it all together for me!! Plus you gave some very nice pictures I esp like your garden shots -- thatbladtbinthinkmis a zygocactus (? Spel) . I have one that limped along with poor care for years . Who knew they could thrive in a mid-Canada winter?

PS APP-reciate ("app"reciate, geddit?!? ) FundyBrian & GroovyGouvy adding their reviews, too Thank you Gouvy & Brian !

had to look up zygocactus, never heard that before. Here we have always called them Christmas Cactus. That plant Karen has had a very long time, as far as I can recall she got it when we lived in Victoria in the early 70’s. It seems to like where it sits and flowers at different times. I always thought the name Christmas Cactus came because it blooms around Christmas but ours very seldom does, sometimes before and after. In the fall she cut the Amaryilis down and it's started to grow again so maybe we will get some blooms on it this year.
We are suposed to be having a wet cool spring which means planting outside will be late again. Cucumbers like heat so that's not great, fewer pickles will get made but we will see, the long range forecasts have been wrong.

 

[Lzed]

I too appreciate contributions by GroovyGouvy and FundyBrian

 

[zenjenny]

I forgot to mention that there is a big snowstorm going on so I'm housebound.

Are you still wearing them funky goggles?

 

[Lzed]

This is probably in here already but
ACDSee by ACDSee.com Mobile Inc.
https://appsto.re/ca/UpAm2.i

You can do a lot with this app but the in-apps are numerous and pricy. Prices are in US$, where you are will likely have different prices but it will give you an idea...
Effects Analog Film, 12 Effects $1.99
Effects B+W, 14 Effects $1.99
Light Effects, 71 Effects included
Nostalgia Effects, 11 Effects $1.99
Fun, HalfTone, Distortion and other have 6-10 Effects and are included.
Stickers has eight categories with around 10 stickers in each one each Category is $0.99
Frames has one free category and another 5 that are in-app for $0.99
If you want masking, gradients you have to spend $4.99 to get them.
There is no buy everything for a discount so if you wanted everything you are looking around $24.00 which I think is far too much.

Today only 17 March 2015
ALL IN-APPS are FREE
Get them while you can!
App is currently free also.