"If there is an app for that"

It’s Always Partly Sunny in This Gorgeous Weather App

December 02, 2016 by macjeff

Partly Sunny - Weather Forecasts ($2.99) by Joseph Hribar is a simple and clean weather app that is powered by Dark Sky. If you’ve been in the market for a quick but effective weather app to help you keep track of the forecast, then Partly Sunny is definitely one you should consider. It joins the ranks of other fine weather apps on iOS, including CARROT Weather and Weather Underground.

Even though the most effective way to check the weather is to take a glance out the window or take a step outside, I consider myself a weather nerd and prefer to see all of the data available on a computer or mobile device. Over the years, I’ve gone through several different weather apps on my iPhone, but lately I’ve been using CARROT Weather over one of my old favorites, BeWeather 2, because the latter became a bit broken the last few times I checked. While I’ve become mostly content with the weather apps I’ve been using, I couldn’t help but check out Partly Sunny once I stumbled upon it on the App Store, because what can I say? I love minimalism, and Partly Sunny serves it up beautifully.

If you are looking for minimalism in your weather app, then Partly Sunny will satisfy your cravings. The interface is fairly barebones, as the main view is just a list composed of alternating cells that contain the main weather information that you need to know at-a-glance with a gorgeous typeface. And since the cells alternate hues, it’s easy to tell them apart even if you’re not looking closely. There are easily recognizable icons used to represent the various weather conditions that you’ll come across so you don’t even need to check all of the finer details if you don’t want to, and even more detailed views are available with just a tap. I found Partly Sunny to be incredibly fast at refreshing weather data, and it’s responsive to touch so there’s no lag when switching between different views on my iPhone 7. While it may lack power features like radar and an Apple Watch companion app, I don’t mind because the clean interface makes it easy to get the forecast in a glance.

When you launch the app for the first time, it will ask you for your permission to use your current location, of course. It will also have some other locations already added for you, but you can edit the list and remove them if you want to. To add new locations, just tap on the button in the upper right corner — users can add up to nine locations, and you can rearrange the order that they appear in by the drag-and-drop method. Another nice thing about Partly Sunny is that you can fine-tune each individual location by tapping on the “i” button, and then panning the map around to pinpoint the specific location you want weather data for. Plus, you can even rename the location if you want to be specific, such as “Home” or “Work.” Once you have all of your necessary locations added to the app, all of the basic details (current temperature, high/low for the day, and precipitation chance) will show up on the main screen, and it refreshes constantly so you’ll always have the most up-to-date info from Dark Sky.

While you should be able to get most of your necessary information from the main screen, if you want to drill down to more forecast details for a specific location, just tap on the one you want to view. In this view, you’ll be able to get all info, including what was on the main screen, along with sunrise and sunset time, feels like temperature, wind, humidity, cloud cover, and visibility. There is also an hourly forecast that you can scroll through, and a one week forecast if you pull the screen upwards. For easier navigation, you can scroll horizontally (not in the hourly forecast) to switch between locations without having to go back to the main view. You can also tap on a specific day for even more forecast information. If there are any weather alerts for your area, you can view them by tapping on the three vertical line button in the top right corner. For allergy info, tap on the flower button in the bottom left corner. You can also get quick access to the NOAA site for the location you’re on by tapping the button in the bottom right corner.

Even though the default settings should work fine for most people, if you need to tinker around with options, just tap on the button in the top left corner of the main view. The options let you choose Imperial or metric units for temperature, measurements, and wind. There is also a dark theme available if you don’t like the bright white, and you can choose what data is shown in the hourly graph. The app’s Today View widget is also quite handy.

As mentioned several times, Partly Sunny is powered by Dark Sky. So you may be wondering why one would use Partly Sunny over Dark Sky. The answer is simple: Partly Sunny offers the information you need in a more concise and flexible way, whereas Dark Sky needs you to dig through various screens to get the information you want. When you use both side-by-side, it’s clear that Partly Sunny is much more intuitive to use.

I’ve only used Partly Sunny for the past day or so, but so far I think I have found a nice replacement for my weather app needs. I am in love with the minimalistic design of Partly Sunny, and it’s super fast and responsive with up-to-date information from Dark Sky. It’s intuitive to use and being able to do things like fine-tune the exact location is pretty nice, and it’s just jam packed with the data that matters to me. The only thing I’m missing is radar, but since it hardly rains where I live, it’s not a deal breaker. Plus, I have other apps for radar if I need it.

I highly recommend giving Partly Sunny a try if you are in search of a new and simple weather app for your forecast needs. You can find Partly Sunny on the App Store as a universal app for your iPhone and iPad for just $2.99.

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

credit : appadvice

from : Mid Atlantic Consulting, Inc.

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 12/02/2016

December 02, 2016 by macjeff

OMG. I Can Meditate ! Meditation & Mindfulness App , Shades: A Simple Puzzle Game , Outland - Space Journey and more

iPad:

Whoowasit? - Children's game of the year 2008 ( $3.99 → Free ) Ravensburger Digital GmbH Whoowasit is a digital adaptation of the children’s game of the year by author Reiner Knizia. The king’s castle is being threatened by an evil wizard, and only the king’s magical ring can protect it. But the ring has gone missing, so you must help the children of the castle find the thief before it’s too late. The game requires teamwork and deduction skills along with a little bit of luck. It can be played with up to four players at the same time.

Universal:

OMG. I Can Meditate ! Meditation & Mindfulness App ( $6.99 → Free ) OMG. I Can Meditate! Inc. Today only: Receive a two-week premium pass free of charge! Simply head to the developer’s website (goo.gl/RE8ld8) and create an account. Then login to the app using your newly created account and all of the content will be unlocked. All it takes is 10 minutes a day to relax, reduce stress, sleep better, sharpen your mind, and improve your relationships. The app includes daily meditations along with a vast selection of guided meditations to help you deal with specific issues like weight loss, insomnia, anxiety, and more. The best part is, you’re able to find your zen anytime, anywhere since your progress can be synced across your iPhone, iPad, and computer.

Shades: A Simple Puzzle Game ( $1.99 → Free ) UOVO We love games like Shades. It’s simple on the surface, but rather difficult once you get going. The idea is to drag the falling blocks into position in order to create rows of the same color, which will remove them from the board. Things really get interesting when you stack blocks of the same color, as they will get darker in shade. This gameplay element creates some sticky situations, but also allows you to create cascading combos. Shades includes four color schemes to choose from.

Outland - Space Journey ( $0.99 → Free ) Vito Technology Inc. Outland is a collection of 20 time-lapse videos that will take you on a space journey. The collection includes everything from the winds of Jupiter to the ISS flying over Earth to the liftoff of ExoMars 2016. Each time-lapse video includes serene background music, a short description, and a date and time overlay. It’s best if you can hook your device up to your TV to truly enjoy the experience.

goodEar Melodies - Ear Training ( $0.99 → Free ) iMobilTec It will randomly generate a melody, and you must correctly play it back to earn points. If you didn't catch it the first time around, you can play the melody again. The app is designed for all musicians, no matter if you're a beginner or professional, since you can customize the experience to your level.

MarcoPolo Arctic ( $2.99 → Free ) MarcoPolo Learning, Inc. They’re able to explore the arctic all on their own from the land to the ocean. The app includes three types of arctic environments to explore: tundra, taiga, and ocean. Along the way they’ll learn about more than 30 arctic animals and the food they eat, and go on the hunt for hundreds of interactive elements. The app also includes four robust puzzles to piece together.

Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free

Apple’s free app of the week: Toca Hair Salon 2

December 01, 2016 by macjeff

Like every Thursday, Apple today updated its Free App of the Week promotion on the App Store with a brand new item, a kids-friendly game called Toca Hair Salon 2. This means that for the next seven days, you’ll be able to download this app free of charge—a savings of $2.99.

In Toca Hair Salon 2, you play as one of the six charming characters and run a hair salon of your own.

There are lots of virtual tools of trade at your disposal which you’d find in any hair salon that let you cut, color and style any way you want, from a simple comb and scissors to a curling iron and a straightener.

You’ll also trim other people’s mustaches, spray mohawks bright pink on their hair and do other creative things to give them the curls they’ve always wanted. Topping it all off, you can take advantage of a special hair-growing tonic to fix mistakes and style customers with hats, glasses and other fun accessories.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MueqTkUfiJY?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

Of course, characters make fun faces and sounds while you’re styling them.

From App Store Editors’ notes:

Nothing beats a kids-friendly game that keeps the whole family captivated—and Toca has us snipping, straightening and styling to our heart’s content. One we’ve perfected our customer’s silly new ‘dos, we make sure to add some accessories, snap a pic and share the hair.

The game contains no third-party advertisements.

Grab Toca Hair Salon 2 for free from the App Store until next Thursday.

Source link: http://www.idownloadblog.com/2016/12/01/apples-free-app-of-the-week-toca-hair-salon-2/

Puzzle Platformer Sally’s Law Brings a Series of Fortunate Events

December 01, 2016 by macjeff

Sally's Law ($0.99) by Nanali is a roll-and-jump style puzzle platformer that tells a heartfelt story between a girl and her critically ill father. If you don’t mind a bit of “the feels” and enjoyed other touching games like Stay, Mum, then Sally’s Law is definitely one that you need to add to the “feels” collection.

When I was a child, I had my classic consoles like the NES and Sega Genesis on-hand, and I remember having mostly platformer games on them to play when I had the opportunity to. Because I grew up with them, I have a definite soft spot in my heart for platformers of any kind, and I also love a good story, so when I saw Sally’s Law on the App Store a few weeks ago, I was intrigued. I also like the use of play on words, so when I read that Sally’s Law is essentially the opposite of Murphy’s law, I had to give it a chance, considering some of the good luck I’ve had recently myself. Needless to say, I was not disappointed with this purchase.

Visually, Sally’s Law is beautiful. The game features a somewhat minimalist aesthetic due to the flatness of the graphics and everything consisting of basic shapes, but there’s much more to the game than that. There are intricate backdrops that are gorgeous to look at, and the stage layout in the foreground is stunning as well, thanks to the fine details like environmental textures and shadows and highlights from the lighting effects. The characters of Sally and her father are adorable as well, as they are round and charming. Animations in Sally’s Law are smooth and fluid with no lag on my iPhone 7, and everything is fairly responsive as well. The game also has a soothing, ambient soundtrack that sets the overall tone for the game, which is a bit sad, but that’s to be expected from a story involving illness in the family. In the end, Nanali did a superb job with the graphics and audio in this touching tale.

Like many traditional puzzle platformers, the game is level-based, and you must go through each stage one-by-one due to the linear story. There are five chapters for players to get through, and they each have six stages. However, each stage consists of two parts: the first is you guiding Sally herself through various settings to get back to her childhood home to see her ill father, and then immediately after you play the role of her father’s spirit, who is acting like a guardian angel and helping her get where she needs to be without running into any obstacles. The first part with Sally is fairly easy and straightforward, but the second part is more like a flashback and a race of sorts, since you must make sure that you get ahead of Sally in order to make sure that nothing stops her from getting to her destination. If Sally ends up stopping along her path, then you’ll have to try again. The objective for each stage is laid out in front of you — just get to the end safely and move on to the next area.

The controls in Sally’s Law are simple and intuitive. When you are Sally, she will roll forward automatically, so all you have to worry about is tapping to make her jump and get where she needs to be. During the times you play as her father’s spirit, you will touch the bottom left or right side of the screen to make him roll left or right. He is unable to jump, unless he collides with Sally. The key part of being Sally’s father is to make sure you’re ahead so you can collect the keys that are required to open doors or even get rid of dangerous spikes in Sally’s path. If you need to fast forward Sally’s movement so that it doesn’t take as long (and you’ve already done what you need to do as her father), then you can long-press the fast-forward button in the top right corner, or use 3D Touch if you have a device that is capable of it (though iTunes reviews say that this may not be working as well as it should). While there are no time limits imposed on the stages, it’s important to keep up with Sally’s pace when you controlled her movement. Remember, if Sally ends up getting blocked in the second part of the stage, then you’ll have to restart that part.

For those who are completionists and love to find hidden collectibles in games, Sally’s Law has hidden memorial photos that are scattered about each stage, but you’ll only be able to find them when you are controlling the father’s spirit. Once you collect enough photos, you’ll be able to view the album from the game menu. Additionally, the game does have an in-app purchase of $0.99 for three character skins, which are pretty cute but don’t change the gameplay at all.

As a fan of puzzle platformers in general, I’m loving Sally’s Law so far, even though I’m still early on in the game. I am in love with the cute graphics that are bursting with charm and personality, and the music is top-notch. The game mechanics are relatively simple but it’s still challenging, and the controls are intuitive and responsive, which is nice. The storytelling is fantastic as well, since it is revealed in both parts and you get the perspective of both Sally and her father. If this game doesn’t tug at your heartstrings, well then nothing will.

I highly recommend checking out Sally’s Law if you love an endearing puzzle platformer with a heartfelt story. You can find Sally’s Law on the App Store as a universal download for the iPhone and iPad for just $0.99 for a limited time. There are in-app purchases for costume skins.

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

credit : appadvice

from : Mid Atlantic Consulting, Inc.

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 12/01/2016

December 01, 2016 by macjeff

Big Fish Casino – Free Vegas Slots & Tournaments , Intro to Colors, by Montessorium , PixelWakker and more

Universal:

Big Fish Casino – Free Vegas Slots & Tournaments ( $0 → Free ) Big Fish Games, Inc Big Fish Casino will help scratch that Vegas itch. Try your luck at slots, blackjack, Texas hold’em, roulette, and more. Thanks to the daily bonuses, daily scratchers, and free bonus spins, you won't have to be a master of the cards or have a lucky streak at the slot machines to build up your chip stack. The chips you earn allow you to level up your profile and earn gifts to share with friends. You can also invite friends to play along with you and chat with them through the built-in message center.

Intro to Colors, by Montessorium ( $4.99 → Free ) Montessorium, LLC Intro to Colors includes a variety of activities that will introduce your child to the world of colors. The app will teach your child the basic foundation of colors, primary and secondary colors, and color shades and gradients through interactive activities. They’ll also be able to paint and create their own colors, and participate in a seek and find game.

PixelWakker ( $2.99 → Free ) Joseph WRIGLEY PixelWakker allows you to import any photo from your library or capture a new one from within the app. You can then choose from 20 different pixel art effects. You’re able to independently adjust the frequency and intensity of each effect via sliders. Your final creations can be saved or shared via your favorite social networks.

My Monster Mayhem ( $2.99 → Free ) Digital Leaf My Monster Mayhem is loaded with interactive elements and delightful rhyming text. Your child can follow along with one of the two narrators, or they can enjoy the tale all on their own. Each of the 21 pages is filled with fun interactive elements that will move and make noises. Your child can also spend time trying to find the toy monsters hidden within the story to unlock a bonus game.

Slide Tetromino Premium ( $0.99 → Free ) ECO Pawel Jarosz Each level includes a single flame, movable pieces, and very little room to operate in. It’s up to you to slide the pieces every which way in order to create a path from the frozen key to the flame. Levels aren’t timed, but your moves will be counted. The game includes a total of 100 levels.

BusyCal - Calendar, Reminders & To Dos ( $2.99 → Free ) BusyCal LLC BusyCal provides a powerful and flexible way to stay on top of your busy schedule. It’s able to tap into iCloud, Google Calendar, Exchange, Office 365, and other CalDav servers in order to sync your calendar. You’re able to view events by day, week, or month, or turn them into a list. Events can be created using natural language, and they can be tagged for quick discovery. You’re also able to manage your tasks, view travel times and location data, and even get a weather forecast.

Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free