Star Wars Collecting Database - Android App Review

Star Wars Collecting Database - Android App Review

Well, we're not going to describe Star Wars again. If you've just woken up from a forty years come, you can take a look here. Anyway, this review is dedicated to a very special app called Star Wars Collecting Database which is dedicated to all those people out there collecting Star Wars memorabilia and items.

The app itself is an Android version of the same Star Wars collection database that has existed since 1998. Yes, you've read it correctly. The app and the windows version database track and contain items for more than seventeen years. Yes people, that is called dedication. 

The app and the database behind it have a single purpose, to catalog every Star Wars collectors items, starting from special edition comics, to a limited series of B-Wing bomber model to cast metal figurines of sand people made over twenty years ago. Of course, games, posters, pictures and many more types of items are cataloged. 

You see the books the app is based on in part here.

The app has two main functions. One is searching for items, categorized by types and groups and even time based. The app provides the user with quite a sophisticated searching functionality together with browsing and and item viewing. 

The second main function is cataloging items. The user can modify an item, change details such as place of purchase, price, condition and of course, he or she can also create a new item and enter all the information available on the item at the time of input.

So, we gave the app to our reviewers and waited for their remarks.

Actually, we divided our reviewers to three groups. The first was composed of hardcore Star Wars fan who already had collection of Star Wars items for years but did not use the app. The second group was made of people who were fans of Star Wars but were not serious collectors of items. The third and last group was of people who were not fans and did not possess any items.

Well, the hardcore fans went berserk. We actually had a hard time contacting them because they became so engrossed with the app. One said he could finally catalog all his Star Wars vintage comics. Another was busy completing his battle droid collection and the third told us the app was great, she was tracking down a model of Darth Vader's advanced TIE and to not call her again for two weeks.

The second group of slightly saner Star Wars fans were quite enthusiastic. For them, using the app was delving deeper into the universe they knew but never visited for themselves. We heard praises about the search mechanism and the ability to save lists and collection for your self.

Actually, the third group was the most interesting, because they were the people who weren't fans of Star Wars at all. Their collective opinion was that the app was sophisticated and easy to use at the same time, its user interface has been clearly seen a lot of work to make it simple and actually at least half of the reviewer group found themselves searching for things they remembered they loved from the movies, AT-ST models being the most popular for some reason.

Our reveiwers also sent it a few tips and tricks. One of the important things to know (we had this piece of information confirmed by the makers of the app) was that the app already contained memorabilia from the three next films, even they they haven't come out yet! The app and the database are the only place information about them can be gleaned. 

Reviewers also recommended using the CSV and backup features of the app, to create backups of collections and wish lists you create because it is always a good idea to have a local backup of your collections.

Another important thing to remember is that the mind behind the app and the database has also create collectible resources here, which might be of great assistance. 

The last but all important tip is to use the community. There are a lot of people using the app and the windows based database, all eager to help and extremely friendly (unless you start the stupid argument of who is going to win, a star destroyer or the Star Trek's Enterprise). Use them to help you find and collect the item you need.

• Score: 4.8. An almost perfect Star Wars Collecting Database App.
• Description: An app that allows browsing, searching and updating Star Wars collecting database.
• Good Points: EXTREMELY comprehensive database. Extensive searching facilities. Easy updating. Full information support for every collector's item.
• Bad Points: A few reviewers felt that a simplified interface for beginners would have helped using the app in the first hour or so.
• Experience: For experienced collectors, starting to work with the app is a breeze. In a moment they know already know what, how and where to look for the items interesting them. Beginners need half an hour to get themselves sorted out.
• Longevity: All serious Star Wars fans swore this app will stay on their smartphones forever. Even casual fans found the app interesting enough to keep it installed for a long time.
• Link to Google Play

Looks Good On Me - Android App Review

Looks Good On Me - Android App Review

Android smartphones and mobile devices have so many uses (we generally refer to them as being mobile offices, mobile communication devices, mobile entertainment centers and security centers) that we tend to forget how new all of this communications and computing revolution is and we sometimes stumble on an app that makes our smartphones even MORE useful.

In fact, android smartphones and mobile devices are so useful because they have instant Internet communications and a LOT of computing power but if you really think of it, we haven't even started scratching the surface of just how useful these devices can be.

Just think of it. Our smartphones give us the ability to instantly communicate with ALL of our friends at once. We can enjoy their opinions, their intelligence and their knowledge and put them to use on our behalf, if only we the right app for the job.

Well, we found the RIGHT app for the job.

Enter Looks Good On Me, an app that helps you leverage all of that friend brain power on your behalf. What this app does is quite simple and it comes to solve a problem that is quite irritating, though not life threatening. 

The app creates a social network of friends and people whose opinions the user appreciates. Then, the app sends a selfi of the user to his or her friends to help him or her decide whether what he or she just tried on is a good fit, and does it look good. The app gathers the votes and comments of the friends and displays them to the user, to help in the buying process.

We gave the app to our reviewers and waited for their remarks.

Our reviewers loved the concept. The idea is quite innovative and the app is very useful as it gathers and distills the opinions of the friends into a clear and simple vote, and the comments. The app also has very useful notifications, that can be sent when entering a clothes store to let the friends know their opinion will be required.

The reviewers loved the interface and the design. The app is very well designed and is not only simple and easy to operate, but also nice to look out which is an important but commonly neglected feature. .

The premium version was also well worth it, as it makes comparing two outfits very easy, and we must not forget that comparing two outfits is really what we need while shopping.

Our reviewers also sent in several tips about using the app.   

First of all, notification. The app allows the user to send a notification to friends when entering a shop, to make them all ready to give their opinions. Our reviewers suggest to wait with the notification till we find two items of apparel to compare, because if we enter a store and find nothing, and our friends sat and waited with their smartphones to give opinions - this will NOT make them happy.

Another tip is to make the time to give opinions to others. If you want others to take the time and effort to give your honest opinions, you must make the time and effort to give as well as you take.

Another tip is to select people that will give you honest opinions, and be able to take in that opinion. If friends say that something is not for you, make the effort to understand why. People want to help, but you must be able to take that help in.

Last but not least tip is to follow the reviews of others to keep abreast of what is trendy NOW. Fashions change like the wind, and the app not only gives you the chance to review clothes on others, it also gives you the chance to see what is trendy today, which is even more important.

• Score: 4.7. A social network for apparel selection.
• Description: An app that allows friends to vote and review a specific apparel selection by the user, telling him or her if it looks good on her or him.
• Good Points: Great idea! Simple to operate and very functional. Great UI design. 
• Bad Points: None that really came to mind. We liked this app.
• Experience: The app is really easy to use. The only snag is that you have to build your friends list for the reviews, but this usually takes mere hours to set up
• Longevity: Everyone who tried it that wants to look good kept this installed. No questions about it.
• Link to Google Play

Movie TV Tech Geeks News by Curt Johnson - Android App Review

Movie TV Tech Geeks News by Curt Johnson - Android App Review

It has been said that with Android smartphones and mobile devices (yeah, with the other kind too ...) the Internet itself, the greatest repository of human knowledge ever, lies right there in your pockets. It is usually added that despite the fact the Internet is right there in your pockets, all people use it for is to watch and share pictures of cats.

In fact, this is not so surprising as one would think, and it is not because cats are cute. In fact, the whole problem lies in the fact that the Internet is largest repository of human knowledge ever. This makes finding the information you would need AND would find interesting so hard as to make it impossible.

Which is why people have resolved to solve that problem and create channels of information for the things we need, which actually mostly condense into several topics. Tech news. Movie and TV news. Sport news and celebrity gossip. Like it or not, this is what we and most people are interested in, with varying degrees of importance. 

The huge site movietvtechgeeks.com is a great solution to our information and interest needs, with dozens of writers and reporters keeping those information channels open to satisfy our info needs. And, to put all of this in a convenient and accessible way right into our pockets, we will review the Movie TV Tech Geeks News app by Curt Johnson.

The app is a magazine displaying news items from the site, categorized into section and prominently displaying news items. The user can select to see the category that interested him or her at the moment and then can see the news items in side, the articles and videos all easily accessible.

We gave the app to our reviewers and waited for their remarks.

First of all comes information management, and our reviewers really liked the way the app categorizes information and makes it easy to go and retrieve it, unlike certain other magazines. Our reviewers also liked the main editor picked news articles as they were almost always fascinating. 

Our reviewers were also VERY impressed with the quality of the articles and news pieces themselves. Our reviewers stated that even on their own fields of specialty (mostly tech but some in sports), the articles were very professional and very accurate, something which is becoming a rare thing these days.

The app's interface is simple and straight forward, allowing reaching the category and articles sought after very easily, even for those who are less tech and smartphone oriented than others. The app arranges the articles and the videos themselves in a way that makes it easy to consume, even on smartphones with smaller screens.

Our reviewers also sent in several tips and tricks.   

First of all, remember the app also works perfectly well on tablets, which means that you can read your science and tech reports on the subway on the way to work, but wait with the sports videos till you reach your tablet.

Another tip is to remember to hit the refresh button, to see if new articles and news items have appeared. 

Yet another thing to remember is to watch the podcasts, which are put online every Mondy, Wednesday and Friday, which are are a must for those wanting to hear the latest news and commentaries from the best sports gurus and celebrity gossip reporters. 

The last tip is to keep digging. The app, though having a simple and very accessible interface still holds a staggering amount of information so the advice is to keep digging to find the hidden gems scattered all over the place. 

Another tiny tip is to get to know the article writers, find the ones you love the most and keep searching for their articles, whether it's sports analyses or new smartphone reviews.

• Score: 4.8. An almost perfect magazine app.
• Description: A magazine app showing movie, tech, TV, sports and celebrities news and articles.
• Good Points: Great material and articles. Simple design that makes reaching info easy. A huge repository of articles, analysis and news.
• Bad Points: Perhaps adding notifications and the ability to follow topics, news and authors.
• Experience: The app was real easy to setup and start using. Everyone found in a very short time the things and topics he or she loved the most.
• Longevity: Since everyone has something that interests him or her that falls under the topics covered by the app, almost no one uninstalled this app.
• Link to Google Play

Simple LED Flashlight Torch - Android App Review

Simple LED Flashlight Torch by Mohatir Bin - Android App Review

Android smartphones are just about the most useful tool you can imagine. Just think of all its sensors and features. It can serve as a magnifying glass, a location finder, a communicator device, a camera, a scanning device and much more. Of course, it can also serve as a flashlight. 

Most if not all (Sony Xperia Z Ultra smartphone being a notable exception) android smartphones come equipped with flash for their camera, to enable them to take pictures at night an at relative darkness. Of course, what flashlight apps do is use the smartphone's camera's flash to turn the mobile device into a flashlight.

But, there are quite a few flashlight apps on google play, so the question should be asked, why did we choose to review Simple LED Flashlight Torch out of all of these apps? 

To answer this question, let's take a quick look at the app itself. The app is simple and quick to operate. When turned on, a cute graphic appears which lets the user turn on and off the flashlight with a touch of a finger. The app also has a widget that can be placed on the smartphone's homepage and it keeps working even when the smartphone is locked.

All of the above are useful features but what did our reviewers have to say about this app? 

Our reviewers liked the app. First and foremost, it is very simple to operate. No complicated setup menus or tiresome feature selection screens. Just install the app and turn the light on. Apparently, in our day and age of increasing complication, simplicity has a lot of fans.

Next, our reviewers liked the graphics, the drawn light bulb. When trying to turn the flashlight on at night or with limited visibility, the app makes it very easy to see what you're doing and turn the light on with just a flick of the finger. Of course, the widget also came in very handy to that same purpose.

Last but not least, our reviewers loved the fact the app keeps working and the flash remains lit even when the smartphone's screen is locked. Many other apps require the smartphone to remain unlocked, and what happens is that inevitably an unwanted touch will turn the flashlight off just when you need it the most. With Simple LED Flash Torch, that's no problem.

Our reviewers sent in several tips and tricks.   

First of all, when you're trying to do something complicated at night, turn the flashlight on and lock the smartphone. The flashlight will remain functioning and there's no chance of a touch turning it off at exactly the wrong time.

Another tip is to remember our elderly people. Simple LED Flashlight Torch is so easy to operate and understand, it is ideal for elderly people, to have a handy flashlight on their person at all times.

Another interesting trick is communication. Since the app is so responsive and easy to operate, there's no problem turning the smarpthone into a light based communications device, sending coded messages through blinking the flashlight in the right sequence.

Last but not least, don't forget to check up on your kids. In other words, when you have to check something in their room but don't want to turn the lights on and wake the little monsters, just flick the smartphone's flashlight on and check what you wanted to check since you already had the smartphone with you. Just don't aim the flashlight at the kids' faces.

• Score: 4.5. A simple app that works really well.
• Description: A flashlight app with cool graphics and a widget.
• Good Points: Very simple to operate. Works even when the screen is locked. 
• Bad Points: A few of our reviewers said they would have liked a slider for amount of light control.
• Experience: Very easy to operate and select. No one had any problem making this app work.
• Longevity: No one who needs flashlight uninstalled this app.
• Link to Google Play

Sweet Jar by ByPost - Android App Review

Sweet Jar by ByPost - Android App Review

To take thing in perspective, we on Android Review Center say that we love our smartphones and mobile devices because of their functionality, and we do get a LOT of functionality from the huge amount and variation of apps on google play. There are apps for everything you've ever thought of and a lot of things your HAVEN"T thought of, but that's just part of the fun. 

The apps can be very broadly defined as apps that help the smartphone become a mobile office, apps for mobile communications, apps for entertainment and last but not least, security and safety apps. But, as much as our engineering instincts want to have everything labeled neatly, there are the special apps, the ones that cannot be so easily categorized, and sometimes these are the best apps of all.

Meet Sweet Jar, an app by ByPost that does a special thing, connecting the real world with our world inside the smartphone. What does it do? Quite simply, the app blows life into jars of sweets on the smartphone's screen and makes them into real things. 

How does the app work? The user gets to select a jar and then he or she must fill it up with up to six variations of candy, from cola bottles to juicy lips, liquorice allsorts, gummy bears, fizzy vampire teeth and much more. Then, the user must pay real money (£6) and then the real jar with the selections of candy the user made appear on his or her doorstep in a few days.

So, what did the reviewers had to say about the app? 

Our reviewers liked the app a lot, even those who don't usually consume that much candy. The screens and graphics are really colorful and visually appealing, making it a joy to just browse through the options and see all Sweet Jar has to offer. This also makes working with the app very simple and intuitive, with no chance of mistakes.

Our reviewers also commented on the sheer variety of candy to select, citing hundreds of candy types, some mysterious and unknown but all intriguing with good pictures. Whatever candy type you like, our reviewers say you'll find it within Sweet Jar.

Last but not least, our reviewers reported that there was no hitch in the payment and the real world jar deliverance. The jars arrived before schedule on almost all occasions and they were wrapped so well that no one broke or was otherwise damaged by its journey. AND, people got exactly what they ordered, which means the app does exactly what it is supposed to.

Our reviewers sent in several tips and tricks. Now, reviewers commented that the candy jars made perfect presents to give when visiting or as prices, so the app is useful even if you DON'T like candy. Another trick is to select less than six types of candy if you know and want a specific kind.

Another tips is to be brave and select unknown types of candy. Live dangerously ... Some guys said that the jars make excellent gifts for the fair gender, even going so far to order the jars straight to the hotel room when going on vacation and making it wait there for the couple's arrival. This always got very positive reactions!

For the parents among us, our reviewers said the jars present perfect school and class party refreshment and even if you want to gift your kid with one, selecting candy types for jars is very easy and avoid temptations encountered when going to the mall ...

The app doesn't use paypal, only credit and debit cards which make it a little safer for our money and the price in general is not high, so reviewers recommended ordering jars in advance and just keeping them at home for when candy will be needed for guests or kids.

Sweet Jar is a great app, colorful and easy to use and the physical world component works really well.

• Score: 4.8. A beautiful app that works really well.
• Description: A candy selection app, that delivers real candy jars according to your picks.
• Good Points: Nice design and graphics. Great concept. Good packaging for the jars to avoid mishaps. Huge variety of sweets to select.
• Bad Points: Perhaps making a future update where with things that are a little healthier, like crackers, dark chocolate, nuts etc.
• Experience: Very easy to operate and select. No one had any problem making this app work.
• Longevity: Even for people who don't like sweets, this app and its sweet jars have quite a lot of uses.
• Link to Google Play

Honey Heroes - Android App Review

Honey Heroes by Game Gurus - Android App Review

Today, the amount of games available for Android smartphones and mobile devices is truly staggering. There are literally millions of games from all types and genres, just waiting for you to download. So, the problem becomes not one of finding a good game but selecting from the multitude a game that is right for you and your needs.

Google play games for Android can be broadly divided into several types. Strategy games, simulators, arcade and action games. Of course, a very important type is puzzle and the various mind games. This review is of a puzzle game called Honey Heroes by Game Gurus. 

Honey Heroes is a puzzle game with several twists. First of all, it is very graphic intensive in contrast to most other puzzle games. In addition, the game is not a standard match 3 puzzle game but each level presents different puzzles and different requirements for finding a solution. A last difference is the fact that this game is VERY professional in its concept, design and implementation.

We've sent the game, like we always, do to our small horse of reviewers and sat back and waited for their input. One of the advantages of puzzle games that is represented well in Honey Heroes is that the game appeals to reviewers of all ages, professions and aptitudes. 

So, what did the reviewers say? 

First of all, most if not all the reviewers commented about the design and visual appeal of Honey Heroes. Like we wrote earlier, our reviewers were very impressed with the graphics and professionalism of the user interface and the visuals of the game, from the animation to the menus to the design of the characters themselves.

The game itself is both challenging and interesting. The various puzzle types are all different and require thought and concentration of the part of the players. The variety itself is very refreshing as playing through dozens of levels remains interesting and challenging, which is something not all puzzle games succeed in doing.

Our reviewers also liked the variety of characters and different heroes in the game, as the players play with bees, butterflies, dragonflies and more, all done beautifully with exquisite detail. Another thing our reviewers liked was the way the game is almost self explanatory. A new player can just start playing the game, without the need for long help documents and sessions. 

Our reviewers sent several tips. The most important of all is about the game and kids. The game is very suitable to kids, with cute characters, no violence and is actually beneficial as it makes them work the muscles in their head and like it at the same time!

Another thing our reviewers pointed out is about the puzzles and the powerups. Even though the powerups are important, it is best to save them for the harder levels where you'll really need them. Last but not least tip is to survey the puzzle carefully before starting to solve it, even though time is of the essence when solving the puzzles in the game. 

Android Review Center's conclusion is that Honey Heroes is one of the best puzzle game we and our reviewers saw. Beautifully designed, challenging and constantly intriguing and interesting, Honey Heroes is a puzzle game suitable to all ages.

• Score: 4.8. A well designed and interesting puzzle game.
• Description: A puzzle game with different puzzles, centered around honey and cute insets.
• Good Points: Different and original puzzles. Great design, animation and menus. suitable to all ages. Can be played from different devices and even PC with the same account.
• Bad Points: Couldn't really find one. Perhaps making it a little less cute would have appealed more to teen age boys.
• Experience: The game is very easy to play, as it is almost self explanatory.
• Longevity: As there are dozens of levels and puzzles and the game can be played from different devices, people will keep playing this game for long.
• Link to Google Play