Larry the App Guy: My App Reviews

Lzed

MobiLifer
Mobi Veteran
Real Name
Larry Zasitko
Device
iPad (Generic)
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Some on here know that I post reviews here and some know that I am also active in the AppZapp community. On AppZapp you can post comments on an app but there are two issues. You are limited to the number of characters in a comment and the bigger issue is you can't post images. I do leave a lot of comments there mostly limited to my impressions after playing with the app and I always try to include information on save resolution which is almost always omitted by the developers. In short I post short reviews.

Well I deceided that I am going to try to post all of those comments here also. Because I can post images they may or may not be be included. I will include an iTunes link to the app and you can read the developers description there, these quick comments will not include them.

I am going to try to post about an app every day but it depends on what I find and how busy I am with other stuff, such as jumping in our Motorhome and driving away for a week or more.
Our last long trip was over 10,000 kms, and we were away about 6 weeks but we have taken a couple trips where we have been away 2-3 months. Sometimes on our trips I will have Internet access but at some locations there is no service. But I will try to post.
 
PiXiPiX by Rajinder Singh
https://appsto.re/ca/gFUM0.i
Decent save size at 5320x5320 from a start 5mp image with 1:1 ratio. A 4:3 ratio 5mp start image saves at 6080x4256.
You can select up to 28 images to use in the collage but each has to be loaded separately, I would rather you could select them all at once.
Output is 1:1 default but there is a button so it will use originals ratio in portrait or landscape
It takes time to generate the final image, about 2 minutes, but to alieve the boredom of waiting they show some interesting facts.
While I am not fussy on what it looks like some might like it... Almost all images I tried ended up not looking anything like the original.
Currently free so you can check it out.

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This image is using only the original image (a sunset)
 
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Great idea Larry!! Looking forward to discovering the wonderful world of apps with you here. :D :thumbs:
 
Thanks Larry! I downloaded it and also Collage Cam. Both look very interesting. Kurt
I have had CollageCam for some time, much prefer it over this one... Very different look
Save resolution is a little lower, 5mp original saves at 4745x3250 for a 3:4 Portrait

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CollageCam by Rajinder Singh
https://appsto.re/ca/JUKLO.i

This app is also free at the moment.
 
PosterLabs - Stylish collage poster maker by Xiamen Meitu Technology Co., Ltd.
https://appsto.re/ca/55wm0.i

I like this app.
Simple easy to use UI
Lots of options (layouts) for 1 to 5 photos on a page
No ads
All downloadable content is free right now (have no idea if they will go paid or stay free) and somewhere around 100 layouts, many are quite nice looking.
A half dozen or so filters
Some text can be modified.
Save resolution is too low at 800x1200 in portrait orientation

Like always it should be universal app and support landscape
I would like to see:
All text editable
No watermark
Location on mine was wrong and no obvious way to correct it.
Higher save resolution.
I left feedback (available in app under the settings from initial screen)

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These are all images from Dubble.
This layout you can't modify the text (too bad)
 
Crystal Camera HD by Masanori Katsuta
https://appsto.re/ca/fk-yU.i
Currently $0.99

Nice little app that lets you place bubbles anywhere on your image, simply touch and hold, the longer you hold the bigger the bubble.
Bubbles will reflect portions of the image.
You can undo as far as you need to.
Works in portrait or landscape orientation though the photo picker is only portrait.
I have opened and placed bubbles with images as large as 6000x6000 and input = output.
No other effects or anything.
It has occasionally been a free app.
 
Stripes - Layered Filters by guruhubb corporation
https://appsto.re/ca/FnjU4.i

Just saw this... I know I'm late and GroovyGouvy beat me to it...
FundyBrian has also seen the app

1:1 only
Choice of 2, 3 or 4 stripes in either vertical or horizontal. Or one of 6 shapes
When it first opens it has red square dots you can drag these to resize each stripe or you can resize later.
Each stripe can be original or one of 11 filters. Filters are not strong but not adjustable either.
Saves at 1280x1280 max.
On my iPad it locked up after about the fourth image so hard that I had to do a hard reset.
No ads

Hope GroovyGouvy doesn't mind if I add her comment here either :)
1280 x 1280 px, square only, nice idea with frames/stripes, many filters (no options/sliders), watermark low right.
Not really a keeper but still I'm considering. :) I like it to have ome picture stripped in four and you can change the filter per strip but the picture is still complete. :) but still looking for more res. :)
 
Mirror Grid Art - Photo Mirror with Color Effects by PHAM HOANG
https://appsto.re/ca/dgA24.i

Currently a free app, did not see any in-app to get rid of ads.
It will use any ratio for input but output is only 1:1
10 ways to mirror the image.
Two ways to change colours one changes all to the same colour the other is more random sometimes they will be the same, other times different for each mirror segment.
17 filters/effects, none are adjustable.
Two sticker categories, one for objects with 24 and the second is more emotion based with 12.
Text in two categories, 13 fonts, 11 colours. The other text category is really another 6 stickers

Banner ad at the bottom, video ads every time you save which you can quit out of after 5 seconds

On the iPad 3 1536x1536 save resolution

Another AppZapp user with an iPhone 5S iOS 7 was getting 640x640 save resolution, not sure why the difference.

For now I'll play with it a bit more.

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Trying to catch up a bit...

FilterGrid - Combine multiple filters into 1 photo by RILEY CILLIAN HONG KONG LIMITED
https://appsto.re/ca/3N_02.i

While it could use higher resolution 1920x1440 is not as bad as some.
This app is similar to the app:
Stripes - Layered Filters by guruhubb corporation
This one has some different and I think more interesting patterns and shapes.
You can use a random function which gives random filters for each segment. Or if you rather you can apply one of 65 filters which also are adjustable to fine tune it.
In settings there are two save resolutions, Std (default) 1280x960 and Hi which is the 1920x1440.
On my iPad 3 iOS 8 it has been a little unstable, just occasional crashes, most have happened only while opening the app.

Picperfect - Swag over with this beautiful afterlight camera with tons of filters by Pico Brothers
https://appsto.re/ca/LMg34.i

Not sure if this developer is the same as the developer of Retrica
Retrica by Sangwon Park
https://appsto.re/ca/fISAI.i
but this has some of the same filters and poor save resolution.
Filters while being the same/similar are not adjustable like in Retrica
Basic UI is the same as Retrica
Watermark on the image and can't turn it off
Saves at 640x640 for 1:1, they show a portrait setting and that saves at 640x680.
If you already have Retrica don't bother with this...


InstaToaster (Photo Editor) by movin'App
https://appsto.re/ca/s3e84.i
New app, Free.

You import an image and it crops to a 3:4 portrait which is the first issue. You can't move the image so you get it only the way the app crops it.
You start with 19 layouts and using gestures you can resize and rotate the layouts.
You can add shapes on top and a good selection (84) are included. Again everything can be resisted or rotated, intensity adjusted.
You can change the pattern used with the shapes to one of 21 included.
Last option is 6 different blend mode in any of around 70 colours.
Save resolution is higher then I expected at 1536x1899.
If you rotate your image prior to opening in the app you can use most of a standard image without issues and rotate after back to landscape if you want.
I played around for a while and only got a single pop up ad so it's not as bad as some other apps.
I like that everything is adjustable and not bad save resolution so if you like this type of app it might be one to look at.

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Been very slow week for new apps....

Picture-Kaleidoscope by Kevin Neelands
Released 9Dec2009, never had an update which explains a lot.
Chances are it will never be updated :), oh well it was free...
Can't give any info....
Doesn't work on my iPad 3 iOS 8.
If I go to Cameraroll it sits and does nothing at all. If I go to an album with only a few images it will let me position the image but when trying to go father it crashes.
Camera doesn't work, just shows a white quarter circle in the top left corner and nothing else.
 
Photo Blender - Add Cool Texture with Background on top of your images by Bill Core
No in-apps, takes you to the iTunes Store for the full version. For some reason only the free version shows in AppZapp. The full version is $0.99 US.
No ads.
There are two categories for filters though they are marked by cryptic icons only and they are separated by other icons, why I have no idea but they are all adjustable. In one category there is some separate B+W filters, in the other it is a button and changing the filter changes the B+W's tone.
Overlays has two layers so you can have two overlays at the same time. In the free version only the first 5 overlays is free, the other 94 are in the full version. Again intensity can be adjusted for each layer and each layer can also have one of 6 blend modes.
It has some normal editing tools for cropping, brightness, contrast, blurring, Bokeh and even has wide angle or fisheye.
Save side is a bit strange and I will try to get a hold of the developer.
1:1 ratio saves at 1909x1909
Other ratios save at 1024 long side so much smaller. On my iPad I did a screen grab and cropped the image and landed up with a 1246x914 image.

Overall I like the app but there are things I would like to see...
Universal with landscape.
Full size in/out or at the very least 8mp iPhone sizes.
Rotation of overlays and most important being able to add your own images in place of the built in overlays.

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Photo Blender - Add Cool Texture with Background on top of your images by Bill Core
No in-apps, takes you to the iTunes Store for the full version. For some reason only the free version shows in AppZapp. The full version is $0.99 US.
No ads.
There are two categories for filters though they are marked by cryptic icons only and they are separated by other icons, why I have no idea but they are all adjustable. In one category there is some separate B+W filters, in the other it is a button and changing the filter changes the B+W's tone.
Overlays has two layers so you can have two overlays at the same time. In the free version only the first 5 overlays is free, the other 94 are in the full version. Again intensity can be adjusted for each layer and each layer can also have one of 6 blend modes.
It has some normal editing tools for cropping, brightness, contrast, blurring, Bokeh and even has wide angle or fisheye.
Save side is a bit strange and I will try to get a hold of the developer.
1:1 ratio saves at 1909x1909
Other ratios save at 1024 long side so much smaller. On my iPad I did a screen grab and cropped the image and landed up with a 1246x914 image.

Overall I like the app but there are things I would like to see...
Universal with landscape.
Full size in/out or at the very least 8mp iPhone sizes.
Rotation of overlays and most important being able to add your own images in place of the built in overlays.

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Great idea for a thread, Larry. Right up your alley. Your comments and explorations with the apps are most helpful.
 
Great idea for a thread, Larry. Right up your alley. Your comments and explorations with the apps are most helpful.
These are all posts from AppZapp so you will have seem most there too, big advantage is sometimes pics can tell you a lot more then no pics :)
 
Cool Image Effects by Bill Core
Same app developer as Photo Blender.
This one I am not as thrilled about.
Again it is overlays but more limited in both the number in the app and editing options.
You can place a texture and with one finger move it around and with two you can resize it as well as rotate the texture. Most textures I tried if you zoom too much will start to look pixelated so the texture quality is not great.
Once you choose a texture you can double tap on the preview image to delete it.
You can have as many textures as you like
The biggest issue is that the textures are not adjustable for intensity/visibility though some are fine the way they are.
Save resolution is too small and though the preview looks 1:1 it not, saves at 768x831 and has a black band at the top.
On my iPad 3 w iOS 8.1.2 it froze when saving, it did save the image but you then have to end the process and go back in so I found instead I simply took a screen grab and then carried on. Using Handy Photo I cropped to 1:1 and get 1425x1425 images which is better but this is not really ideal.
I know other apps have had issues with iOS 8 and saving so figure it just needs to be updated.

I decided to try and contact the developer, that was a bit of a chore to start with because if you go through iTunes support it takes you to an expired web page. I tried several apps with the same thing and was ready to give up when I tried it for his app Rainbow Loom and Lo and behold got a web page and down at the bottom a form to contact. Only problem is that one line is your name which worked, second came up with email and the last also would only accept an email so I filled it in and sent it. Thought I would never hear back.

About an hour later I did get an email back and that started a few emails back and forth. Because I had issues with the one app he sent me redeem codes for Glow Camera (full version, but I already had it) and another that I haven't got. I told them thanks but had that so he asked if something else I thought I would like to try so I sent him a couple and he sent me redeem codes for the full versions of them.

So sometimes it pays to complain :)

In any case I have some more apps to play with and I'll pass comments back to them. I will maybe do an extended review with several of his apps and pass that back to them along with an invite to come here. But that probably will not happen for a few days.

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Index Cards Pro by Bill Core
I can see a lot of uses with this little app, things like recipe cards or things along those lines.
What prompted my looking at the app was some recent discussions on MobiTog where people want something to keep track of edits to images. Sometimes you use multiple apps so it would be nice to track them and being able to attach photos is a plus.
The app hierarchy starts at the top level with projects. Projects can be named, given an icon, and a colour.
Beneath projects can be many cards each with a title and notes and an image. They can be organized or reorganized by a long press then dragging and release when it is in the place you want.
Cards can be given a title, notes and a single image. Everything can be edited at any point or re-edited after it has been saved. Images are not full size, rather they are limited to a max 1536x1536 for 1:1 and 1536 long side for other ratios. When an image is selected you can move and zoom/edit within a 1:1 ratio box. Notes can be quite long, I was able to paste a note with several hundred lines including links and everything can across and with working links. Cards can be deleted by dragging left and confirming the delete.
Over all a pretty simple app that works good, has reasonable image size within the app and good notes sizes. For the $0.99 I think if you are after something like this it's worth the asking price.
Looking at other index card apps in the App Store many are only text, no images and aimed at being flash cards. Some have sorting and one has tag words but all your info is kept on their servers which for me makes it useless when I am out and off wifi.

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Index Cards Pro by Bill Core
I can see a lot of uses with this little app, things like recipe cards or things along those lines.
What prompted my looking at the app was some recent discussions on MobiTog where people want something to keep track of edits to images. Sometimes you use multiple apps so it would be nice to track them and being able to attach photos is a plus.
The app hierarchy starts at the top level with projects. Projects can be named, given an icon, and a colour.
Beneath projects can be many cards each with a title and notes and an image. They can be organized or reorganized by a long press then dragging and release when it is in the place you want.
Cards can be given a title, notes and a single image. Everything can be edited at any point or re-edited after it has been saved. Images are not full size, rather they are limited to a max 1536x1536 for 1:1 and 1536 long side for other ratios. When an image is selected you can move and zoom/edit within a 1:1 ratio box. Notes can be quite long, I was able to paste a note with several hundred lines including links and everything can across and with working links. Cards can be deleted by dragging left and confirming the delete.
Over all a pretty simple app that works good, has reasonable image size within the app and good notes sizes. For the $0.99 I think if you are after something like this it's worth the asking price.
Looking at other index card apps in the App Store many are only text, no images and aimed at being flash cards. Some have sorting and one has tag words but all your info is kept on their servers which for me makes it useless when I am out and off wifi.

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Great review, Larry, and well worth checking out for those who want to keep track of their edits! ;)
 
This is comments for Four apps by Space-O Digicom.

If you are going to buy any of the Splendid Camera Apps make sure you go to iTunes Store and do not buy from here. The reason is simple.... In iTunes Store there is a bundle with all four of the pro apps for the same price as a single app, ie the bundle of 4 is $0.99US.
I did buy them and will have a look at them later and add comments.

Splendid Camera FX Pro by Space-O Digicom
These apps surprised me...
This app has 6 categories of filters/effects and around 200 total.
All filters/effects are adjustable for intensity.
All filters/effects can be rotated or flipped.
All filters/effects can be masked.
No ads.
No in-apps.
Saves at 1280x1280 for 1:1 ratio or 1280 long side for other ratios.

Would be nice to have:
Higher save resolution. You could get 1425x1425 if you do a screen grab and crop (iPad 3).
While it has masking it would be better if you were able to zoom in or if it had a magic wand for selection and a soft edge. Right now you can only select size of the brush. Still I like that it is there.

Splendid Camera Grunge FX Pro
The UI is the same for all of the Splendid Camera apps and has the same editing features, masking and save resolution.
This app has 7 categories of filters/effects and I gave up counting when I was over 200 in the first category.

The above two apps are normally $1.99US but currently show as $0.99 each

Splendid Camera Light FX
The UI is the same for all of the Splendid Camera apps and has the same editing features, masking and save resolution.
This app has 1 category of filters/effects and 84 in total. Note that if you have Splendid Camera FX it includes this set of filters/effects and from scrolling through them they are the same.

Splendid Camera Smoke FX
The UI is the same for all of the Splendid Camera apps and has the same editing features, masking and save resolution.
This app has 1 category of filters/effects. Note that if you have Splendid Camera FX it includes this set of filters/effects and from scrolling through them they are the same.

Both of these apps are also currently $0.99US but have been free before

Out of curiosity I downloaded the Splendid Camera Grunge FX free version. Same categories as the full version but only the first 6 filters in each category are unlocked, the rest can be bought in several ways.
You can unlock any category for $0.99
You can buy any one of 3 mixed bundles, each has three categories, they are $1.99 each.
Or you can buy all for $1.99
Seems to be a strange way to have the in-apps. Obviously it is cheapest to buy the everything, but wait... Before you buy any in-app you can buy any single app for $0.99 with everything unlocked or even better go to iTunes Store and the developer has a bundle for the four pro version for $0.99
The free versions have ads and a watermark on all saved images but it saves at the same resolution as the paid versions and filters/effects have the same editing tools.

I didn't download and try the free version of Splendid Camera but expect the in-apps would be similar to Grunge.

I also downloaded the free version of Splendid Camera Smoke.
As above it has ads and watermark but also saves the same resolution and has the same edit tools.
Only difference is that this app like the pro version is only a single category and a single in-app for $0.99.
 
ACDSee by ACDSee.com Mobile Inc.
https://appsto.re/ca/UpAm2.i
Basic app is free.

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.
Still fun to play around with the basics that are in it but I can't see paying for the in-apps I already have many filtering apps and other editors.
I do like that everything is adjustable for intensity, rotation, flip etc.
It does have about every basic photo adjustment that you can think of.
Save resolution is input=output with a maximum of 4096x4096 or 4096 long side.
Collages are saved at max 2048x1204 which is disappointing..
I could open my 6000x6000 but down scaled it.
 
Line Effects by Kamran Saberihaghighi
https://appsto.re/ca/Mdu_2.i
Nice little app.
No ads, no in-apps.
36 line effects.
Adjustable for size, rotation and line thickness.
Adjustable for opaque, done a little different, at 0 it's neutral, slide to the left (minus) and the lines become more transparent. Slide to the right (plus) and the area outside the lines goes from full colour to black.
Lines can be any one of 22 colours.
No matter what size the original is it will save it at 2048x2048.
1:1 ratio only. Other ratios show in the preview with cut off sides and you can zoom and move the image.

Easy to use app that does support landscape.

GroovyGouvy used it in her 365 project today.
 
Line Effects by Kamran Saberihaghighi
https://appsto.re/ca/Mdu_2.i
Nice little app.
No ads, no in-apps.
36 line effects.
Adjustable for size, rotation and line thickness.
Adjustable for opaque, done a little different, at 0 it's neutral, slide to the left (minus) and the lines become more transparent. Slide to the right (plus) and the area outside the lines goes from full colour to black.
Lines can be any one of 22 colours.
No matter what size the original is it will save it at 2048x2048.
1:1 ratio only. Other ratios show in the preview with cut off sides and you can zoom and move the image.

Easy to use app that does support landscape.

GroovyGouvy used it in her 365 project today.
Thanks for tagging me, otherwise I still would be unaware of this thread. :) Maybe I can help you filling it up from time to time, we could split the new apps we want to test anyway. :D And of course do you have my permission to share my blah blah from here or AZ if it helps. :)
Now I'm watching the thread. :)
And this is really a nice little app. :)
 
Thanks for tagging me, otherwise I still would be unaware of this thread. :) Maybe I can help you filling it up from time to time, we could split the new apps we want to test anyway. :D And of course do you have my permission to share my blah blah from here or AZ if it helps. :)
Now I'm watching the thread. :)
And this is really a nice little app. :)
Feel free to add to it as much as you like.
 
Designer Cut Gents Photo Booth by linchpin technologies Private limited
https://appsto.re/ca/VGBn5.i

The following are Brian's FundyBrian comments on AppZapp.
Unfortunately, on my iPhone 6 I cannot select any photos to use with the app. I get a message saying "album not found".
This is probably the only way I will ever have fashionable clothes.

While Brian had issues on my iPad it did work but not without issues.
Save resolution is 1024x768 from the app.
When I opened an existing image (1 I took from his Alma thread :)) it shows a box that I assume it's supposed to fit in. Didn't matter how I tried it brought in the full image.
The cloths can be resized and rotated etc to fit better but the app has no masking so if your body type doesn't match the cloths you see both.
Another is is pixelization... They are not high enough resolution and pixelate with little zooming.
In this case I used Superimpose to blend the two images

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I hope Brian doesn't mind me hacking his images :D
 
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Designer Cut Gents Photo Booth by linchpin technologies Private limited
https://appsto.re/ca/VGBn5.i

The following are Brian's FundyBrian comments on AppZapp.
Unfortunately, on my iPhone 6 I cannot select any photos to use with the app. I get a message saying "album not found".
This is probably the only way I will ever have fashionable clothes.

While Brian had issues on my iPad it did work but not without issues.
Save resolution is 1024x768 from the app.
When I opened an existing image (1 I took from his Alma thread :)) it shows a box that I assume it's supposed to fit in. Didn't matter how I tried it brought in the full image.
The cloths can be resized and rotated etc to fit better but the app has no masking so if your body type doesn't match the cloths you see both.
Another is is pixelization... They are not high enough resolution and pixelate with little zooming.
In this case I used Superimpose to blend the two images

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I hope Brian doesn't mind me hacking his images :D
FundyBrian you look soooo coool, Brian! But I'm not sure is it the suit or the cap. :lol: :thumbs:
 
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