Fireplace HD+

Fireplace HD+

What I love about my iOS devices is just how versatile they are. One minute I can be playing Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja, then the next I can create my own virtual atmosphere – visual & audio relaxation.

Fireplace HD+ is a perfect example of this versatility, enabling you to experience perfect picture quality, a crisp cracking/burning effect – along with many other customisable options. These options include a selection of built-in audio (seasonal, romantic etc) that can be played along with the crackle of the fireplace, this really impressed me and does truly create a relaxing & unique feel. iPad users also have the luxury of a selection of online radio streams, again, these work really well with the burning fire (tip – place iPad in a stand & it makes an excellent visual/radio experience). For users who want to use the app as a sleep aid, Fireplace HD+ has an optional built-in sleep timer that can be accessed via the main menu.

This app brings a truly unique user experience, it will lightly entertain you while relaxing you. Very impressive.

i-Relax

i-Relax

With the stresses of day-to-day life it’s sometimes important to take a step back & unwind. i-Relax does exactly this and is there for you at your demand when those stress levels are rising too high.

i-Relax uses the power of nature to sooth your nerves, with video scenes from natural beauty spots such as a beaches, rivers, trees etc. The media itself works very well & is set to auto-loop meaning there is no need to keep manually playing the scenes when they have finished. In addition to the media there is also an interactive feature where you can create your own rain scene by touching the rain drops.

This app brings some great ideas with many relaxing features. An ideal addition for anyone who likes to chill out every now & then.

Is It Ready Yet?

Is It Ready Yet?

Cooking in general can be fun & challenging. When it comes to roasting meat it makes all the difference if the meat is cooked to as near perfection as possible to ensure you get the best possible taste, while avoiding the obvious under-cooked risks of food poisoning and  lack of taste or the over-cooked burnt or dry taste & appearance.

The “Is It Ready Yet?” app will eliminate this problem with its ability to give you the recommended cooking time & temperature based on the type (beef, pork or poultry) & weight of the roasting meat. In addition to this, the app also has a built-in cooking timer to help make things even easier!

A great cooking aid that’ll likely prove of good use to any iPhone or iPod Touch user when cooking a roast.

Warm Gun

Warm Gun

Prior to its release, I had been following the build-up of this game for some time. Warm Gun is a FPS (first person shooter) that can be played as an online multi-player or an offline mode. You can play as one of the following characters: The Preacher, The 49er, The Shaman or The Blacksmith. Each death-match can be played on one of any of the available maps where it is your role to fight for survival in a free-for-all blood bath!

While a game like Warm Gun has always got its critics, I certainly feel that this game (at the time of its release) has set the new baseline for multi-player FPS games running on the iOS platform. Anyone who likes a good shooter will certainly like Warm Gun!

Wake N Shake

Wake N Shake

Being a heavy sleeper, I have had more than enough instances over recent years where I have slept through morning alarm calls. Most occasions I find myself hitting the snooze button a dozen or so times. Wake N Shake brings a fresh & unique approach as an iPhone/iPod Touch alarm clock, the most notable feature being the challenge of quite literally shaking the hell out of your device (shake intensity can be altered for us weaker folks)! – once the shake-o-meter is full the alarm will stop. The app has a selection of very funny alarm sound effects to choose from, they are cleverly designed to increasingly become rather annoying, giving you much good reason to shake your device rather hard. Not only can you set general alarms, but also you have the ability to set alarms for when you want to take a nap. Overall, this is an app that everyone should have on their device.

Globs™

Globs™

For those of you who are not familiar with Globs, it’s a popular online game that has come to all iOS devices & simply involves matching colors to merge Globs(!), gaining valuable points on the way. The app has 2 game options – classic & time mode, also you have the ability to share you scores on Facebook & even compete on Facebook leaderboards – not forgetting that this game is also Open Feint & Game Center compatible with many achievements to unlock. With a very crisp & simple appearance, this is one of the most addictive apps I have ever played & one that will be staying on my device’s home screen.

World Cup Table Tennis™

World Cup Table Tennis™ – The Addictive Classic Game in 3D

Until experiencing the World Cup Table Tennis app I had never really played any table tennis themed applications before, so I had no idea to what to expect. All in all I was pleasantly entertained by this game, my prior doubts to how the mechanics of this type of game would be were soon gone. Briefly describing the game, there are 4 game modes: Career, Tournament, Arcade and Head to Head – so plenty of options available! The actual game-play is fairly simple to adapt to, I was very comfortable with this process & soon got in to winning ways. A good all-rounder that most table tennis fans will certainly love.

SplitApple

SplitApple

Having played a selection of archery themed apps over the past few years, I have always been left disappointed – so I was very hopeful that SplitApple would deliver… and it certainly did! The first thing to impress me was the the stunning appearance of the high definition graphics & how smooth the overall animation was. The app comes with 4 different game modes: Challenge, Time Trial, Survival & Practice. The controls for the game are very easy to use, the tilt & touch control method was very effective & worked very well. The app is also Game Center compatible & comes with 25 unlock-able achievements.

Parkbud

Parkbud

There’s nothing more annoying than being issued with a parking ticket, it really is frustratingly painful to get back to your parking destination & discover that the parking meter has run out with a parking fine stuck visibly on your vehicle. These days may well now be avoided thanks to the Parkbud app! Firstly, with the meter alarm you can set the exact time that your parking meter runs out, this also has a reminder alarm that can be customised to your preferences. The car locator & park finder will help locate nearby places for you to park & will help assist you back vehicle to make things even easier for you! Other features include a camera & photo editor (for adding photos of your parking location etc.) and a handy notepad. The app on a whole is a clever idea that i’m sure many of us will find useful.

Dead Space™

Dead Space™

Dead Space – the popular console third-person-shooter game is now available on the iPhone/iPod Touch. For those who are not all that familiar with the Dead Space series, (without going into too much detail) you’ll be required to destroy lots of scary looking aliens with a selection of very cool-looking weapons – i’m sure that alone is enough reason to buy this game! The game itself is visually stunning & boasts excellent sound effects. There is also an in-game store that gives you the option to do such things as enhance your weaponry or increase your armour abilities, spending additional money on this game will not be every one’s preference but it will most probably help you progress within the game at a faster pace.