My Favourite Apps #1

Sorry for the lack of action on the blog and before you say it, I honestly did not have writers block! The real reason is my home internet connection completely stopped working, my poor router finally packed in after 4 years of near constant use. As BT are in the process of setting up their most wonderful Infinity connection in the area, I decided against purchasing a new router. No instead I’m being strong, surviving on my iPhones rather pathetic 3G connection, and living in the desperate hope I can finally guess my neighbours Wi-Fi Password!  

When I first decided to write this blog I thought it would be easy as I regularly rant to myself about subjects that really don’t matter to, or effect, me in the slightest. My thoughts proceeded onto believing it would be a good idea to write down the garbage that regularly circulates my head. I’ve not yet convinced myself otherwise, so will continue to pollute your web pages with my nonsense.

After being in possession of an iPhone for just over 2 years now I thought a good piece would be on some of the best and worst apps I’ve encountered in my time. Apps are something that have become a huge selling point for phone manufactures’ and Apple are currently battling with other software platforms such as Google’s Android and Samsung’s ‘Bada’. Each platform has its advantages and disadvantages, but as I’m loyal to my iPhone, I’ll be focusing on apps you can get on iTunes. I’m going to split this up into different articles and in this one I’ll begin with 2 of the best apps I’ve encountered during my time as an Apple devotee.

Angry Birds:

What better place to start than Angry Birds? In its original form it has been downloaded over 12 million times from iTunes since its release in December 2009. Like most popular apps it has a very simple concept (launch birds using a slingshot at pigs stationed on or within various structures) and is very easy to get the hang of. As you progress through the levels you are rewarded with new types of birds to assist you in your quest to rid the world of the nasty green pigs. Each class of bird has its strengths and weaknesses and the challenge is to find the best way of dealing with the scenario put infront of you.

One of my favourite aspects of the gameplay is that there really is no right way of doing things. Yes, if you want to achieve the highest scores and get all of the pigs on each level then you do have to be very precise. But if like me, you like to breeze through the levels doing the minimum amount and finding your own unique way of finishing the level then you’ll be very pleased with Angry Birds.

In my job I have to work night shifts and Angry Birds has kept me company on many a long night. It’s very addictive and certainly makes the time go quickly which is an absolute godsend at times. The developers of the game, Rovio Mobile, have clearly spent a lot of time ensuring the player doesn't get bogged down by repetitive, mind numbing challenges. To this end they have produced a game that continues to feel fresh, even after hours and hours of gameplay. I would highly recommend Angry Birds to every single user of an iPhone or iPod Touch. I’m still playing it 2 years after first downloading it and the regular updates always add new dimensions to an already impressive game.

10/10 

IMDB:

The Internet Movie Database App is a great portable version of the number one source for everything and anything film. If you've never been on IMDB and have even the slightest interest in films I suggest you check it out. The App itself doesn't have many extra features from the main website but it's really easy to use and also doesn't require a very fast connection at all.

I fancy myself as a bit of a film buff and IMDB is a great source of useless information. Simply look up the film of your choice and go onto the trivia section to feed your brain with facts that will enable you to give Mark Kermode a run for his money! There are some real classics such as 'Judy Garland received $35 a week for her role in the Wizard of Oz. Toto, the famous dog, received $125.' and 'In Brian De Palma's 1984 movie, "Scarface," the word is spoken 206 times - an average of once every 29 seconds'. Whoever counted the latter there probably needs to get out more...

A screenshot of the App itself.

As I said above the App itself is very simple to use. When it was first released it contained quite a few bugs and a lot of features from the main website were missing, thankfully like all good Apps, it has been regularly updated. I use IMDB a hell of a lot and often find myself going on there after watching a TV show or film and thinking where do I know ***** from? I love this App and like I said above, if you even have the smallest interest in TV and Film then you'll get something out of it.

9/10