blabel by Vetrya - Android App Review

blabel by Vetrya - Android App Review

Since the old days of ICQ and the advent of the android smartphone (yeah, yeah. the other kind too) instant messenger and online chatting has become one of the most important and popular apps in use everywhere and by everyone. In fact, a lot of people now use chatting and messaging more than they use old fashioned talking. 

Why is that? Well, there are several reasons and most of them revolve around the way people think and behave in the 21st century. First of all, we don't have as much free time as we used to. Everyone is hurrying to class, to work, to gym, to Thursday's night poker game. Everyone is busy, and instant messaging is the perfect solution to sending short message without the hassle of a long conversion.

There are more reasons why messenger apps are so popular, one of them being groups. The ability to send and receive messages from a group really revolutionized the way people communicate, as now creating a group, communicating with it and sharing stuff has become the normal way to communicate.

Last but not least is the ability to share stuff aside from messages. Today, most messenger apps will allow us to share pics, videos, songs and almost everything else. In effect, this means we can now share not only messages and texts, but we can now actually share moments and pieces of our lives.

But, since there are so many messenger apps, the questions begs to be asked, which is the best one ? Which one should we use?

Well, a very good candidate to answer that question is blabel, by Vetrya studios. 

We made our small army of reviewers download the app and start using it, and then we just waited for their opinions and remarks.

First of all, and something that came from the vast majority of reviewers, was the design. Apparently the design has been made in Italy and it shows. Everything in the interface is soothing and pleasant, from the colors to the shape of the buttons to the different background the user can select. Everything gives a very pleasant feeling when using blabel, which is something quite unique among other messenger apps. 

In addition, our younger reviewers especially loves the song searching and private messaging features with self destruct messages though we didn't ask what exactly they did with them ... Our older (and more serious minded reviewers) loved the way locations can be shared among people and groups.

Our reviewers who fell between those two groups loved the way people can use the app with the same account on several devices and even on the web. This opened a whole new world to those who could use the app comfortably even while at work and even when they switched devices, from tablet to smartphone to laptop.

Tips our reviewers sent were mostly about use and functionality. Switching and upgrading devices with blabel is MUCH easier than with other messenger services, just remember to format your old device so people won't be able to hack your account. Pokes are also a great feature our reviewers loved, though when using them for the first time with someone, make sure they understand what exactly they are.

So sum things app, blabel is an exciting new messenger app with security, encryption, self destructing messages, locations and media searching features, in addition to poke functionality. In other words, it can do everything other messenger apps can do, and then some, and everything in blabel is also beautifully designed. 

• Score: 4.7. A beautiful messenger app with tons of features.
• Description: A messenger app with security, self destructing messages, location and media sharing, chatting and group management.
• Good Points: Self destructing messages. Pokes. Media and location searching and sharing. Beautiful design. 
• Bad Points: None really. As a new messenger app, not everyone has it installed yet. 
• Experience: The app is very easy to use and no one had any trouble starting to work with it. The multifunction main button took some getting used to.
• Longevity: People installed this app for good, as even migrating from smartphone to smartphone became SO easy with blabel.
• Link to Google Play

Keep Inside - Android App Review

Keep Inside by Emre Rothzerg - Android App Review

Games come in many types and flavors but they can be broadly divided into two types, complex and simple ones. Complex games require a lot of preparation, time and energy while simple games just require that the user whips out his or her smartphone and start tapping away.

Every game type has its own advantages and benefits. Complex games really allow the user to submerge himself or herself into a vast world, whether it is a strategic or simulation game while the simple game allows the user to relax whenever he or she have a few moments to spare. Of course, both game types have their own merits and fans, and people can love both types of games.

Keep inside is a good example of a simple game. Just a reminder, simple does not mean easy ... The goal in Keep Inside is to keep a dot or a ball inside the large circle and the user has two simple controls to move a section of the circle to prevent the ball from leaving the circle. Sounds simple? It is. 

So, let's see what our reviewers had to say about Keep Inside.

Fist of all, our reviewers enjoyed playing with a game that was simple, that doesn't require weeks to learn to use all the different options, and powerups and upgrades. With Keep Inside, you launch the game and start playing. You learn to play it in five minutes.

Our reviewers also commented about the difficulty curve, saying it was just right. The game starts out easy and gradually becomes more difficult, allowing the player to gradually get accustomed and hone his or her reflexes before he or she really have to start working.

Another thing the vast majority of out users enjoyed very much was the graphics and UI. Keeping it simple, the studio that made Keep Inside made the game very easy to operate and made sure the graphics were both high quality and simple, creating a game that was ideal for a few moments of relaxation without having to encounter anything complex.

Our reviewers had several tips for players. First of all, plan ahead, think not only where the ball will be when it bounces off the 'bat' but where it's going and be there with the 'bat' before it arrives. Planning ahead is the only way to win.

Another thing our reviewers recommended was concentration. The game really is a game of concentration, so make sure you can concentrate on the game while playing. Of course, trying to keep your concentration while in a distraction rich environment is also a great exercise, just be aware that it will detract from your score. 

Last but not least was the tip to try to play it on a tablet or large screen mobile device, to see exactly how the game and the ball behaves there. 'Training' on a large screen device might completely change the way you play on a regular sized screen display.

• Score: 4.6. A good solid game and a great example for a simple, high quality app.
• Description: A game where the user must keep a ball inside a circle by using a 'bat' to keep it inside.
• Good Points: Very simple game and design. Very addictive. Launches and plays really fast. 
• Bad Points: We would have liked to have more shapes and scenarios in future game updates.
• Experience: All reviewers enjoyed the game and none had any problem understanding how to play and how to win.
• Longevity: People who loved the simple concept and who need a three minute break now and then kept this game installed for a long time.
• Link to Google Play

Good.Co: Workplace Culture Fit - Android App Review

Good.Co: Workplace Culture Fit - Android App Review

We, at Android Review Center, love apps that are original and if possible, apps that really make our lives better. Android Smartphones have the potential to transform our lives and we constantly try to find the apps (and games, to a lesser extent) that take a step in that direction.

One of the most important things in an adult's life is his or her job. A good job will insure we earn enough money to have the lifestyle we are interested in and a good job with good working conditions will let us enjoy it, which is more important than it seems, because a job we love is a job that doesn't make us sad or gloomy and doesn't cast a shadow over our lives.

But a good job is one that we enjoy going to, a job that makes us jump out of bed each morning and not pull the blanket over out heads .... A large part of that is corporate life, the people and activities that surround the job, as well as what we actually do at the job. In fact, there has never been an app or a service that can help us choose the job with the corporate life for us.
Until now.

Enter Good.Co Workplace Culture Fit, an app that tries to do just that, find the workplace that we will like the most.

Our reviewers took the app with a grain of salt, as the task the app has taken upon itself to fulfil is quite daunting. Nevertheless, our reviewers, only working adults this time, launched themselves into the app and their reports started flowing it.

First of all came the quizzes. The app will find the right place for you to work only if it gets to know you, and the app learns its user by putting him or her through quite a long quiz. Even though the quiz wasn't short, none of our reviewers complained because the questions were quite interesting and everyone understood that the answers determine the quality of company matches the app will provide.

The app also takes a look at the user's LinkedIn network, all to get to know the user better.

The results the app gave were quite interesting for several reasons. First of all, some reviewers really got to thinking about the career choices when the app presented them with companies they never thought were for them. In addition, some of the insights the app offered were interesting enough and sometimes even prompted change in the reviewer's job without leaving for another workplace.

Last but certainly not least, the app also has a social networking function which is just as important because it helps the user find like minded people that already work in the same workplace, sometimes without the user even knowing about them. Creating new connections with nearby people who share some of the same views of things is quite important.

All in all, the app is really easy to use, with professional simple menus and workflow that are easy enough for everyone to use, even older people who sometimes have trouble with more complicated app UI. 

The tips our reviewers gave were quite simple. Answer the quiz as accurately as possible, even taking a moment to consider now and then. Look at the app's workplace suggestions and think why it offered you them. It might cause you to change things in your job and the way you do things without leaving your current job. Last, don't neglect the social network component and go talk to people the app suggested might be thinking the same about many subjects. You can meet some great people that way.

• Score: 4.8. The app tackles a daunting task and does it beautifully.
• Description: An app that makes you answer a quiz and then offers jobs and companies that might be suitable for you, and people that share the same opinions.
• Good Points: Simple and professional interface with very clear workflows. A quiz that is not too long yet quite comprehensive. Good results from the app. 
• Bad Points: We would have liked the social networking component enlarged, perhaps creating a network for workplaces.
• Experience: All reviewers started to work with the app almost immediately without a hitch. The results the app gave were quite interesting, prompting thought and consideration by those receiving them.
• Longevity: People liked to keep the app installed because it gives interesting insights about yourselves and doing the quiz every few months can give a good indication about your satisfaction from your job.
• Link to Google Play

4 Year Trip - Android App Review

4 Year Trip by Droiple - Android App Review

When you think about the major milestones of your life, one of the most important ones is selecting the right college or university. Getting good education and learning the right profession is makes the difference between many ways of life, not only earning enough money but choosing HOW we earn our money.

But selecting a college or university is not that simple, as any who has ever attended one knows. Judging a higher education school only by its credentials is not enough. You must select the college or university you need not only according to its credentials but according to student life in the establishment as well.

Why does student life become a factor in the selection process of a college or university? Because making connections is an important step in developing careers and group learning, student groups and the student life in general play an important part of how well one can really study in a college, as well as have fun (which is really also important for learning).

4 Year Trip is an app that is supposed to do just that, help us select the best college for us for our higher education and help us keep abreast of important information during studies.

We gave the app for reviewing for those of our team that are actually studying in colleges and universities, as well as those that are about to learn there AND those that graduated not long ago, in order to get as many opinions as possible.

First off all, the app really does contain a lot of info on a lot of schools. Credentials, pictures, contact info, website links are just part of the data the app presents about each school. Of course, the most important thing is the user reviewers and opinions of the schools from people who actually study there.

Another thing all of our reviewers liked was the wealth of information presented about student life, from fairs to events and even things like scholarships and 'how to do' instructions, from enrolling to changing courses.

The main tip our reviewers gave about this app is about continuous use. More information about additional schools is added all the time, on a daily basis, so checking in daily will insure you don't miss anything people add. 

In addition, the app makers (studio Droiple) reward people for checking in, posting and adding info and reviews, so doing that will help others AND insure you get some nifty prizes.

Keep in mind that the app also serves as a great billboard for special school offers and special offers from businesses to students, so like we said earlier, the usefulness of this app does not end after enrolling. 

4 Year Tip is the tool every student needs, dispensing information, pics and reviews about colleges and universities, as well as information that every student will need AFTER enrolling, such as fair, scholarships, special offers, study groups and much more.

• Score: 4.6. All the relevant college and university data in one app.
• Description: An info dispensing app about higher education schools, from reviews to pictures to scholarship information to special offers to fair information.
• Good Points: A huge depository of data. Reward system for posting information. Easy access for every piece of data. Slick and professional design.
• Bad Points: We would have liked the app to be expanded to include high school data AND workplace information data, for the things which precede and follow higher education ...
• Experience: Everyone started using the app easily and without a hitch. The easy to use interface made finding data a quick process. Posting took a little more time but the rewards made it worth our reviewers' time.
• Longevity: All those who went through colleges or were about to enter a college kept the app installed as it is a great college and student life data repository.
• Link to Google Play

Fly Balloon Fly - Android App Review Update

Fly Balloon, Fly! by PopSoda Digital Commerce - Android App Review - Update

Games on Android Smartphones and mobile devices can be broadly and inaccurately be divided into two types. There are the complex strategy games that demand a lot of time and energy to play, with previous planning and after action reports and there are the games which are not necessarily simpler but that are configured for short and furious gameplay sessions. 

Now, the games that support shorter gameplay sessions mostly follow several rules in order to really shine out among the millions of games and apps on Google Play. By the way, the huge number of apps out there is a problem not only for developers but also for user and players because if the good games are not found and supported, the good developers will stop developing apps and games, to the loss of all.

So, what rules are there that good games usually adhere to? First of all, they should be exciting. Something important must be on the line or the player won't care what happens during the game. In addition, the game must be challenging with a logical challenge curve to let the players adjust. Finally, setup and game launch should be fast, almost instantaneous. 

All right, we now would like to introduce Fly Balloon, Fly! before we tell you what our review team thought about it. The game itself is quite simple. Our hero, the balloon rider, must adjust his flight to avoid the sharp and deadly obstacles on several exotic landscapes, featured desert towns, our space and more. Accumulate enough points and the rocket man will arrive. 

So, what did our reviewers think about this game? Since this is the second time we review it, we used a different team of reviewers. First and foremost, our reviewers liked the way the game is controlled. The balloon's course can be raised and lowered by only one finger need to control the game, which makes it very easy to play with one hand holding the mobile while the other holds a bus handhold or a bag.

The difficulty curve is also well adjusted. The game DOES become difficult and challenging but it takes time, making the player feel comfortable with the control and the way the balloon behaves before the real challenges arrive. Our reviewers also liked the graphics, which is far superior to other, similar games.

The rocket man upgrade was also very welcome and liked by our reviewers, since it really changes the game and adds new challenge in the way the game is played and controlled. 

And now for some tips and tricks for the game. First of all, planning ahead. It may seem strange, but planning ahead really does help. Try not to look only at the obstacles in front of the balloon now, but also at the obstacles that are about the arrive. This makes the flight much more easy.

Another tip may sound a little strange and difficult to do but it may help those that are having problems with the more difficult levels. The tip has to do with the look. Try not to focus on the balloon but un focus your eyes. It's a little like in real fighting or boxing. You don't look in the opponent's eyes, you look in his general direction. Try doing it with Fly Balloon, Fly! and we guarantee you will do better, if you keep doing it from the start.

The final word is that our reviewers really liked this game. Simple to operate, setup and control, with very pleasant graphics and with just the right amount of challenge, Fly Balloon, Fly! seems to have everything in balance. Of course, our reviewers added that working to reach the rocket man is really worth. Try it and you'll see!

• Score: 4.5. A rapid, challenging one-finger-control game.

• Description: An arcade game where the player controls a balloon rider's flight through several landscapes while avoiding deadly obstacles..

• Good Points: Game which is easy to operate. Fast launch. One finger control. Ideal for a five minute break.

• Bad Points: Nothing that we really noticed. Perhaps more variety in the obstacles would have made the game better. Perhaps not.

• Experience: Everyone had the game up and running in no time. Of course, learning to defeat the tougher levels required some trying.

• Longevity: The game's simple mechanics and challenge made almost everyone keep this installed for a considerable amount of time.

• Link to Google Play

Baby Phonic video baby monitor - Android App Review

Baby Phonic video baby monitor by Nikolay Shishenkov - Android App Review

Most people, like it or not, already are parents or will become parents, sooner or later. And, as the ones who already were parents know, there's nothing more important in the life of a parent than his or her baby. This is a powerful and almost unbreakable bond that dominates at least the first years of a parent's life, the first years as parents.

That is the thing that is so awesome in being a parent, having a baby that is all dependent on you. However, as the ones who already are parents know, that's also the problem because as a parent, everything you do (and there's much more to be done when you have a baby) you have to do with a baby.

The thing about babies is that they need constant guarding, even when asleep because, god forbid, there are quite a number of problems that can develop and endanger our baby in a manner of minutes. This is why a parent must keep an open eye a all times on a baby. And this is what is so difficult in being a parent, leading a life while keeping an eye on the baby at all times.

Enter Baby Phonic, a video baby monitor that tries to do just that, let the parents have some freedom, let them do other things while STILL keeping an eye our on their baby. The app connects two devices together through a WiFi router and allows one device to see video and sound output from the other device, the device inside the baby's room.

Well, we had a little problem in giving this app to our reviewers since not ALL of our reviewers are or were parents but surprising as it is to hear, even those who weren't parents found uses for the app. More on this later. 

So, let's start seeing what our reviewers thought. We'll start with the hardware, actually, the devices that need to run the app. Well, as it turns out our reviewers unintentionally manged to really test Baby Phonic, using it to connect Android to iOS to Amazon's version of Android. We also heard from reviewers who hooked old Tablets, older smartphones and Kindle Fire's and everything worked smoothly together.

The user interface also got a loud applause as everyone managed to make the app to work in a few tries at the most, even the least tech oriented among our reviewers. Adjusting picture settings was also something everyone managed to do easily and the app in general gets high marks for user friendly menus and setups.  

And now for some tips and tricks for the apps. First of all, it may prove difficult to find devices to run the app but almost everyone has old smartphones at home without sim cards, but all you need is WiFi connection and you've found a great use for that old device lying at home. The same applies for tablets.

Reviewers suggest trying to switch the monitoring device with the one viewing, to see which gets the best results. It may surprise you. One thing to keep in mind is that sometimes it takes up to one and a half minutes to form the connection between devices, so remain patient. One last thing to remember is that if u want the app and devices to work at night, keep the device monitoring the baby charging, though make sure the device and the wires are WELL out of reach for the baby.

We must point out that the device should be kept away from the baby, at least five or six feet and to make sure it cannot reach to device, especially if you keep the device charging. In addition, keep in mind Baby Phonic is not a movement monitoring appliance. 

Baby Phonic is a great baby monitoring app, with simple user interface and great versatility. The overwhelming majority of our reviewers liked the app a lot.

Link to Google Play

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