PositionApp

Find out which are the Top Ten Apps in your Country. App Store link (free)

You probably know ustwo cause they develop cool games like the famous .™ or ..™. Now they have something completely different for us.

In first line, this app is thought as a tool for developers and marketers. But of course, anyone can use it. For example, you can track your favourite App.  Or just discover what people all over the world are buying.

The app is not especially stylish, but the focus is on the information you get. It is interesting that you can circumvent theApp Store for this, and get the same results in a much more transparent way. Actually, PositionApp offers more than the App Store, like the top 300, instead of top 100, or the statistics for the past five months.

The app seems to be free only a limited period of time, so grab it now!

App Store link (free) and developer link: PositionApp by ustwo

Instructions

The innovative alarm clock for late risers. App Store link (0,79 €)

Put the iPhone in your bed and its motion-sensors will record your motions while you sleep. Let’s say you want to get up at 8 am. The app will start looking for a light sleep phase from 7:30 and wake you up if it finds one. The aim is to avoid waking you up in a phase of deep sleep, where it usually is pretty hard to get up.

I think I am especially bad with getting up in the morning, maybe because of my blood circuit. Most days this app really works for me. This makes this app one among the few that actually extend the iPhone’s functionality. There are alarmclocks and watches working similarly, but they cost at least 80 €. I never got one because I was always suspicious, they wouldn’t work.

Additionally this app offers a lot of fun with your statistics. I find it surprisingly interesting to examine the curve of my activities during sleep every day and compare it with friends. It is real fun!

Still I need to say, that there are some things you need to consider using the app. The app has to run all night long. That’s why I prefer to activate Airplane mode before I use it. Unfortunately it can’t be activated from within the app (I guess Apple doesn’t allow it). The next thing is that you should charge the iPhone every night. Actually this is a good routine anyway, because the iPhone will always be completely charged in the morning. You can’t use the iPhones alarm sounds, you’re limited to the app’s cheesy wake-up-sounds. But this also is something I can easily live with.

Specially considering the price, this app is definitly worth trying if it sounds somewhat interesting to you.

App Store link (0,79 €) and developer link: Lexware Labs

Get started 3

An app for the artist within you. App Store link (1,59 €)

No matter how bad you are as an artist – with this app you’re going to express your thoughts, feelings and emotions with ease and fun. Spin the canvas, choose a brush size, pick a colour and: ACTION!

The app won’t confuse you with lots of options and settings and stuff, there are just two basic functions: paint (the upper left icon) and spin (below). There are three different brush sizes to choose from and enough colours. The star opens a menu with 5 reasonable options (e.g. clear background).

The actual canvas doesn’t seem huge but the final image in your photo library is much bigger than you can see on the screen. And the colour splashes look great in detail. Don’t hesitate and discover the fun of messing around with paint today!

Check out the flickr group here.

App Store link (1,59 €) and developer link: 7twenty7

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For All Seasons

A small piece of art: App Store Link

There are a couple of interesting Apps that explore the possibilities of the iPhone as a new art medium. I am not an expert in software art, but I must say, the way you can interact with your iPhone indeed opens new ways of thinking about art in general, and software art and related topics in particular. This one is a nice example of what can be done.

For all seasons is realtively old (it is based on a 2005 piece and was released almost a year ago). It is also thought of as port of the original piece for the computer. Don’t expect big things here, the piece is not about that. It is small and unpretentious, japanese qualities I both like. I don’t want to tell you more, just offer you something to look at your iPhone in a different way. Just try and see if you like it.

App Store link (free) and artist link: Nanika, hahakid

Automaton

This one is for the nerds among you: App Store Link (Free)

I hope there are some of you out there wondering about the laws of nature. What if, after all, we live in a giant computer? Well, this app will not answer this question, but maybe can help you into the world of cellular automata. If this is too much for you, and say, you are just looking for cool, with an edge, wallpapers for your iPhone, this app can help too. I find some of the automata really beautiful, but this is of course a very personal opinion. You don’t have to philosophise about science, beauty or the world: this app is for free, so you have nothing to lose!

App Store Link and developer link: KCMA