"If there is an app for that"

Neil – Personal Curator AI Easily Finds the News You Care About

January 12, 2018 by RSS Feed

Reviewed by Marilyn Chau

Artificial Intelligence, often referred to as simply “AI”, is coming up more and more as a way to improve or add capabilities to familiar processes.

Neil – Personal Curator AI is a noteworthy new arrival in the newsreader category that provides the best stories for you based on your interests.

Offered for free through the iTunes Store, buddying up with Neil in your iOS apps is one easy way to easily access numerous articles on topics you care about.

Features:

Just as advertised, Neil – Personal Curator AI, from BPU Holding, is an app that aims to take the work out of finding news articles that interest you.

Setting up your account is incredibly simple; the AI bot guides you through literally every step of the process, providing helpful advice on how to voice your preferences in order to get the most curated experience possible.

Users can choose to link their previously existing social media accounts to further curate their article feed if desired as well. Articles can be discovered through opening up the app or through daily notifications from Neil; favorites can be bookmarked for later referencing or can even be shared with friends.

The real difference between this app and other curated news apps is the use AI-powered natural language as a way for you to express your interests to the app. This does make it somewhat easier to let the app know what topics you care about, although it’s hard to say if the result is any different than that from other news aggregators.

This app definitely does a good job of doing what it’s designed to do and claims to avoid fake news and clickbait articles. We can’t verify that but it sounds great so if you haven’t yet settled on a favorite news aggregator you would be well served to try Neil.

Appearance and Layout:

Neil – Personal Curator AI iPhone App

If “clean and simple” is a description for how you like your apps to appear, then you will find Neil’s layout to be exactly what you’re looking for.

However, while this minimalistic approach does make it fairly simple to navigate through the app, it would also be fair to mention that the graphics in this app are definitely kept to the bare minimum; anyone wanting a more visually stimulating source to bring them their news will probably not be very impressed with the presentation of Neil’s offerings.

Small icons at the bottom of your screen are your main way of getting around this app, and the AI presents a helpful introduction on how to get the most out of your app experience when you first start to use it.

Overall, the appearance and layout of Neil – Personal Curator AI are fine, keep the navigation and controls secondary to the content, and get the job done.

Value:

As mentioned previously, Neil – Personal Curator AI is a free app so trying it out is definitely pretty easy.

However, even though this “personal curator” is free, it would still be a stretch to rank its value very highly, when considering how other apps already offer the same or similar services.

We encourage you to try it and give it some time to learn your preferences. You may find that compared to other news apps on your iPhone, Neil does a better job of delivering the stories you actually want to read.

Neil – Personal Curator AI iPhone app requires iOS 10.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

Source link:http://www.theiphoneappreview.com/2018/01/neil-personal-curator-ai-iphone-app/

Let Them Come and Blow Them Into Oblivion in This Survival Arcade Shooter

January 11, 2018 by RSS Feed

Let Them Come ($1.99) by Versus Evil is a survival shooter where you must fight hordes of alien enemies as the lone survivor of a spaceship. If you enjoyed games like Ashworld and Kick Ass Commandos, then you will like what Let Them Come has to offer.

As someone who has watched a lot of movies and television shows and even played games that feature some post-apocalyptic setting, I've always wondered what it would be like to be all alone. You know, the last living human being, forced to survive by any means possible when it seems that everything's doomed? Yeah, that's pretty much what you end up with in Let Them Come, and as a fan of arcade shooters, I had to check this one out. While it's a fun game, it does have some flaws that affect gameplay.

$3.99

Ashworld

Pascal Bestebroer

$2.99

Kick Ass Commandos

Anarchy Enterprises

Visually, Let Them Come has an awesome 16-bit pixel art style aesthetic that falls in line with many other games. As someone who grew up in the '90s, I definitely appreciate these visuals. Despite the pixelated appearance, I found everything to fairly detailed, including the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the barren spaceship, as well as the various hostile aliens that can explode upon death. While the setting of the game is going to be dim overall, the lighting ends up being a bit dynamic because of your weapon and bursting neon alien corpses. Animations are smooth and fluid in Let Them Come, with no lag or choppiness on my iPhone 8 Plus. The game also features a heavy metal soundtrack with unlockable mixtapes as you progress, which is just appropriate when you're the only human left.

In Let Them Come, you'll control Rock Guner as he faces off against waves of alien lifeforms. As you clear waves, you won't be able to go back and grind, which is an unfortunate flaw of the game made apparent as you reach the first challenging boss level. Each time you die, you'll have to start off at the beginning of the wave you died on, so Let Them Come gets increasingly more difficult as you get further along.

As you kill enemies, you earn coins, which doubles as your score. You spend the coins in the ship's inventory stash, where you can purchase various weapon and passive upgrades, as well as mixtapes. If you change your mind on a purchase, you can also sell it back for the same amount of coin that you bought it for, though the buttons for this aren't too clearly labeled. There's a mix of various bullets, melee weapons, grenades, health increases, and more. Of course, the better an upgrade is, the more expensive it will be, so save up those points.

Once you have purchased an upgrade, it stays in the inventory until you decide to equip it into your loadout. To do this, just drag-and-drop what you want to use into the appropriate slots at the bottom. You can have up to four passive skills, two secondary weapons (melee and grenades), and two ammo types.

Controls in Let Them Come are simple but can feel a bit clunky. Since Rock Guner is stationary behind a machine gun on the ship, you're responsible for aiming and shooting from that single spot. Along the left hand side of the screen is a slider that allows you to aim the weapon. To shoot, just long-press on the button of the ammo you want to use. Yes, the gun can overheat, which you can gauge with the meter next to your weapon loadout. If it's getting dangerous, the rate of fire drops significantly until it can cool down, so make sure to keep an eye out on it. If enemies get too close, you can choose to use your melee weapon instead by tapping on it to use.

Near the top right of the screen will be your combo meter. This indicates the number of consecutive kills you currently have. Once it's full, you can get a bonus unlock to use for this round. These include useful items like unlimited item use (some ammo rounds have a limited number before you need to refill), more health, resupply, have enemies explode on death, and more, including the all-powerful Frenzy Mode. Your bonuses are always randomized, so you'll always end up with a surprise of what to expect.

Get ready to face an onslaught of enemies, and try to kill everything that moves.

The Good

Let Them Come is a good survival shooter game that is both fun and challenging. Even though it proves to be difficult, it's still hard to put down once you get started. The graphics are retro an a nice homage to classic games, and the tunes are also awesome to listen to. Being able to change the soundtrack as you play is a nice touch.

I wasn't sure about the whole stationary shooting thing, but it does work out fine for what it's worth. It gives me a ton of pleasure just sitting there and blowing up a bunch of aliens as I struggle to survive, and having so many upgrades to unlock and increase your strength just makes me keep coming back.

The Bad

While I like Let Them Come a lot, it isn't without some big flaws that unfortunately affect the gameplay. As you advance in waves, things get more difficult and eventually you may end up stuck and unable to grind for points to get better gear. I wish it was possible to go back to previous waves just to grind for coins for the necessary upgrades before facing off against the first boss, which can be too hard.

Another issue is the slider for aiming. Sometimes the slider's touch zone does not seem as responsive as it should be, so it was hard to aim fast enough to get the enemies on the ceiling as well as the ground. This resulted in some untimely deaths for me because I couldn't have the gun pointing up in time, so hopefully the controls get better optimization in a future update.

The verdict

Overall, I'm enjoying Let Them Come a lot, despite the issues with the controls and levels. The game looks great and the metal soundtrack is just fun to listen to, especially since you can change the tracks on a whim. Hopefully the difficulty and level issues get addressed soon, as its current state can be a bit unbalanced. And I hope to see improvements and optimizations to the aiming controls, as it would make the game a lot smoother.

Still, Let Them Come is a fun survival arcade shooter that everyone should try out. You can find Let Them Come on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $1.99. It's also available on Steam for PC and Mac for $4.99.

8.4

OVERALL

Graphics 9

Sound/Music 9

Replayability 8.5

Gameplay 8.5

Game Controls 7

$1.99

Let Them Come

Versus Evil

Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews

PortraitCam Brings Portrait Mode to Any iPhone or iPad

January 08, 2018 by RSS Feed

PortraitCam ($3.99) by BrainFeverMedia is an app to help you achieve great depth effects on your photos, regardless of whether you have an iPhone capable of Portrait Mode or not. If you're looking to create some great portraits, then this app can definitely help. It's similar to apps like Patch, but with more features.

Ever since I got the original iPhone back in 2008, I fell in love with mobile photography. The camera specs weren't that great back then, but it was amazing just having a mobile device that was capable of snapping pics in an instant. Because even though the picture may be crap compared to today's standards, the memories will always remain, and that's why I love photography. With the iPhone 4, the camera upped the ante for the industry, and then just got better and better from there. Apple added Portrait Mode with the iPhone 7 Plus, which I missed out on as I had gotten an iPhone 7 that year instead. Now with my iPhone 8 Plus, I finally have Portrait Mode myself, and I use it whenever I can. Still, since I don't have an iPhone X, I don't have Portrait Mode with the front-facing camera. So I decided to give PortraitCam a shot to help out with my selfie game.

Free

Fore Photo

Henry Lee

Interface-wise, PortraitCam is pretty simple and intuitive. The main screen of the app easily lets users choose whether to import an existing image from their Photo Library, or you can snap a new pic with the camera. In PortraitCam, you can use either the front or rear facing camera. If you don't have a device that's capable of Portrait Mode, then you can achieve similar effects with PortraitCam, which is nice. Those of you with an iPhone X, PortraitCam utilizes the X's TrueDepth Camera to preview and capture depth data, giving even better results.

PortraitCam can automatically detect faces in images, or you can fine-tune the depth masking by painting the sections you want to focus on. All of the tools in PortraitCam are categorized: Blur, Mask, Flares, and Filters. This makes it easy to find what you're looking for, and there's a lot of useful features at your disposal. The app is mostly responsive and effects are rendered quickly, so you get results instantaneously.

During my use of PortraitCam, I've found it to be a useful tool to add to my photography app arsenal. I don't take many selfies often, but ever since I've started using Portrait Mode on my iPhone 8 Plus, I wish I had the same functionality on my front-facing camera. With PortraitCam, now it doesn't matter if I take the occasional selfie, because I can edit it in this app and get pretty cool effects.

By default, PortraitCam will be set to Auto during the Face Detection stage, where it tries to automatically determine the faces in the photograph you've either imported or snapped within the app. For the most part, this auto detection works well, as it will get most of the faces masked for focus. But I did notice that sometimes it will miss some of my hair, or my glasses throw it off a bit (strong prescription so it shrinks what's behind the lens). So for me, I will always have to manually paint the focus mask on the smaller zones in the image. Fortunately, the brush works well enough and if you make a mistake, there's the eraser that's just as easy to use. There's also an undo and redo buttons for easy fixing.

Once you have your focus area set, the rest of the image gets blurred out. In the editing stage, you have a lot of options to go with. The default blur setting should be around the 25 percent mark, but you can adjust the blur amount by using the slider. If you want a more subtle effect, have it more towards the left, and for more blur, go right. With more blur, it's a much more stark contrast between the subject and the background, to the point where it definitely feels unnatural. So I recommend keeping it more to the left if possible, unless you have a background that works really well the more it's blurred.

PortraitCam also has tools like Aperture, which changes the shape of the blur. This can be a very subtle change, and sometimes you won't even notice the difference between them. There's plenty more that you can change with regards to the blurring: spin, highlights, fringe, depth, invert (subject blurred and background in focus), and depth map. There's even basic editing tools like exposure, vignette, and crop. If you need things like brightness, saturation, and the like, then you'll need another photo editor for that, since PortraitCam mostly focuses on the depth effect editing.

In the Mask category, users can edit the mask for the focus region, as well as choose between four different mask types: Depth Map (default), Radial, Landscape, and Gradient. If you're using PortraitCam mostly for portraits, then the Depth Map is usually what you'll stick with. But the other effects can be useful for scenery or inanimate objects, so it's nice to experiment with for interesting results.

To spice things up, PortraitCam has both flares and filters that you can apply to your images for fun. The Flares add various light flares to your image (so you can be like J.J. Abrams), and you can adjust the bloom, opacity, and even flip horizontally or vertically if you prefer it in a different originating spot. Filters has a handful of different vintage, black & white, and color filters that can change the overall mood and tone of your portrait. Unfortunately, you're limited to what the app offers, so if you aren't satisfied with what's available, you'll need to use another photo editing app.

When you're done editing your portraits, just tap on the Share button in the top right corner. You can save the photo directly to your Camera Roll, send it to Instagram or Tumblr, and the "More" option brings up the iOS Share Sheet.

Another nice feature with PortraitCam is the fact that you can quickly go back to your last edited image. On the main screen of the app, there's a "Last Edit" button in the bottom right. Tapping on this takes you directly to the last photo that you were editing, whether it was done or not. You get to pick up right where you left off too. So if you were editing and then had to do something else for a while, coming back to the app later doesn't lose your progress.

PortraitCam brings Portrait Mode to the masses.

The Good

PortraitCam is a good option to consider if you don't have an iPhone that does Portrait Mode. The ability to import existing images for editing or snap a new pic directly from the app means there's a lot of versatility. The interface is also pretty simple and straightforward, and there isn't much of a learning curve so everyone can use it. The blurring effects are flexible and replicate the depth effect well enough for most, and having flares, filters, and other tweaks means more freedom in editing.

The Bad

For the most part, PortraitCam works well, but it isn't without some flaws either. I did notice that sometimes the app didn't seem to register my taps, such as when I want to select an area to focus on, or a button for a tool. It usually will work if I tap it again, but it does seem to need a bit more optimization.

Another thing that I noticed with my use of PortraitCam is the fact that the edges of the focus region are definitely sharper than I'd like, as it is a fairly stark contrast with the blur in the background. I can tell a difference between what the actual Portrait Mode on the iPhone 8 Plus and something edited with PortraitCam because of the sharp edges. I wish that it would make the transition from focused to blur more gradual, as that would make it look and feel more natural. Still, if you have a subtle blur, then it's not too bad.

The verdict

For what it's worth, PortraitCam is a decent tool for photographers. I like the auto detecting of faces, and with some patience, you can fine-tune the focus area by painting the mask in yourself. There are a lot of options to customize the blur, and the lighting flares and filters are a nice plus. Overall, I like having PortraitCam around, but I do hope that improvements are made so that the edited portraits feel closer to what Portrait Mode does with gradual transitions.

PortraitCam can be found on the App Store as a universal download for the iPhone and iPad for $3.99.

8.2

OVERALL

iPhone Integration 9

Lasting appeal 8

User Interface 8.5

Is engaging 8

Does it well 7.5

$3.99

PortraitCam • Ultimate Camera

BrainFeverMedia

Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews

Become a Master Thief and Strategically Pillage Everything in Antihero

January 05, 2018 by RSS Feed

Antihero ($4.99) by Versus Evil is the mobile port of the original Steam game. It's a turn-based digital board game that requires strategic thinking and features some light RPG elements in the mix. If you liked other games like Onirim, Card Thief, and SteamWorld Heist, then you'll like what Antihero brings to the App Store.

When it comes to games like JRPGs, I always liked to pick the character classes that let me do cool things, such as the Thief in Final Fantasy. I've always had a liking for the thief class, because they're usually agile and nimble, allowing you to do things like steal. When I saw Antihero, I was intrigued because it's a game that's all about being a "master thief" and running your own thieve's guild. I mean honestly, how can I say no to that? And while I didn't hear about Antihero until just days ago (it originally came out in July 2017), I have to say that this is a title that doesn't disappoint.

Free

Onirim - Solitaire Card Game

Asmodee Digital

$2.99

Card Thief

Arnold Rauers

$9.99

SteamWorld Heist

Image & Form International AB

Antihero has a unique visual style that I'm loving from the get-go. The game is rendered in 2D but because of the angled, top-down perspective of the board, it feels like pseudo-3D. However, all of the character sprites are flat, so it's a nice contrast with the board itself. Each unit type has a unique appearance that makes it easy to differentiate from each other, and the Victorian-era towns have a cozy look and feel to them. The towns are dark and gloomy, but the red and blue shades of your guild versus the enemy are a nice complement to the somberness. Animations are buttery smooth and fluid on my iPhone 8 Plus, so I had no issues with lag or choppiness. The ambient soundtrack is also fitting for the Victorian setting, and it's delightful to listen to, along with the sound effects.

There are three ways to play Antihero: single-player Campaign, Go Online, and Skirmish. Going online requires creating an account, which is simple enough, and it allows you to do PvP with other players in asynchronous battles. Skirmishes can be done against the AI or with other players locally, but you can customize the rules for distinctive and interesting battles. However, chances are high that you'll be spending most of the time in the rich single-player Campaign.

In the Campaign, there's a large number of levels to play through, with the difficulty ramping up on each stage. You'll have to go through the levels in chronological order, and there's no option to skip a stage, so if you're stuck, well, you'll need to try harder. The first three levels serve as the tutorial and help you understand the rules and flow of the game.

To complete a level, you'll need to gather enough victory points before your opponent does. These are earned by completing various objectives, such as: infiltrating a church for Blackmail, assassinating certain public officials to fulfill Contracts, and more. The game tells you in the beginning what things you can do to earn victory points, so you just have to make sure you get enough before your rival.

Game flow and controls are simple enough. Each turn, your Master Thief can Scout, Burgle, or Attack, but each action costs an Action Point. Scouting lets you uncover hidden parts of the level, Burgle lets you steal some gold coin, and Attack can eliminate enemy units standing in your way. The Action Points refill on each turn. As you get coins, you can purchase units and expand your guild. Each unit does something different and you'll have to think about what's best for the situation at hand.

For example, Street Urchins can infiltrate businesses so you acquire resources faster (freebies each turn). Thugs can guard for two turns, Gangs can attack or evict enemy units from buildings, and Saboteurs can set up traps. You'll uncover more unit types as you get further along in the game, and each one has a useful skill that you'll want to take advantage of. As you get coins, make sure to use them to get more units if you're able to.

During each turn, you're also able to check your Guild and purchase upgrades. The upgrades cost lanterns, so you should generate free lanterns on each turn by controlling a Trade Shop. The upgrades unlock more unit types and can give your Master Thief more power, such as more Action Points and more damage when attacking. You can also choose Charity, which gives you free gold or lanterns each turn, but then you can't get an upgrade.

Once you've made use of all available actions for your units and have spent your upgrades or collected charity, you can submit your turn and then it goes to the opponent, rinse and repeat.

Antihero is a fantastic addition to anyone's strategy game collection.

Antihero is a fantastic addition to anyone's strategy game collection. The cartoonish art style is rather special and unique, and the sound design is excellent, including the voice acting. The controls are simple (just taps) and they seem perfectly optimized for touch screens. The variety in unit types means a lot of strategy and planning is involved, and the levels can be rather challenging. It's also great that there is multiplayer, both online and locally, with the option for custom rule sets to make matches even more interesting. Each round starts off a bit slow, but once things get rolling, it's incredibly addictive.

While Antihero is a great game, it may not be for everyone. If you're not the type to methodically calculate your move in strategy games, then this may end up being frustrating, as the difficulty ramps up after the tutorial. Plus, matches can take a while, so you do need time to spare for this.

The verdict

I'm usually not big on strategy games because I end up being terrible at them, but Antihero is definitely one I'll be keeping around. It has distinctive game mechanics that feel interesting and fresh, and the controls are optimized for touch. Plus, I get to live my dream of being a thief and having a guild all my own, so it's a keeper.

I recommend Antihero if you're a fan of board game style games or just want an in-depth strategy game for your collection. You can find Antihero on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $4.99.

9.5

OVERALL

Graphics 10

Sound/Music 10

Replayability 9

Game Controls 9.4

Gameplay 9

$4.99

Antihero - Digital Board Game

Versus Evil

Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews

Stand by You Is a Deep and Dark Interactive Graphic Novel for iOS

January 04, 2018 by RSS Feed

Reviewed by Sarah Hanlon

No matter where you look, it always seems like the concept of the apocalypse is ever present. From televisions shows to books and other media, the idea of the end of the world is everywhere.

Stand by You is an imaginative interactive graphic novel  that is sure to entertain and engross you in its post-apocalyptic world where two characters rely on each other to survive the end of days.

If you enjoy gorgeous visuals and a truly interesting story, this is definitely a game for you.

Concept and Functionality:

In Stand by You, by Water Phoenix, you take on the role of Kyo-Ya, a boy who awakens to a destroyed world where (almost) everyone and everything has perished. He meets Asagiri, a girl who explains that she’s the only other living creature.

Asagiri is on a mission to atone for humankind’s sin of destroying the world by experiencing death for every creature and plant that has died. Kyo-Ya travels with her on her journey, and the interactive aspects of Stand by You bring you, the reader/player, right into the story.

Personally I’m a huge fan of interactive novels just like Stand by You. The visuals are incredibly detailed and truly beautiful to experience – it’s clear that quite a bit of work has gone into the artistic aspect of the app.

One thing I do want to mention about Stand by You is that it has graphic elements to it and might not be suitable for all audiences. There’s a bit of violence and the story itself is pretty depressing.

Features:

Stand by you iPhone App

Stand by You is an interactive graphic novel at heart, and unfortunately this means there aren’t very many additional features to speak of.

One thing I do want to mention is the developer states that the average player should be able to finish the story in under five hours, which is a bit of a drawback if you really get into the story. On the other hand it’s the perfect companion on that long plane flight or train ride.

Stand by You also features a great transition system that helps the story flow. Scenes transition flawlessly, making the reading experience very clean and enjoyable.

Value:

Stand by You is available to download from the app store for $4.99 and is universally compatible with iPhone and iPad. There are no additional in-app purchases that I could find.

Overall, Stand by You is ideal for anyone who enjoys post-apocalyptic stories and digital novels. The steep price tag is a bit of a drawback especially if you finish the story quickly, but it’s definitely an interesting game that will hold your attention.

Stand by You requires iOS 6 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Source link:http://www.theiphoneappreview.com/2018/01/stand-by-you-iphone-app/