Simple MP3 Downloader – The only MP3 app you need

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I am so happy with this great find and have used it every day at least three times a day since I downloaded it. Simple MP3 Downloader is exactly what its name suggests and is in my opinion the best mp3 download app available. I work from home so this means I have full reign over what I feel like listening to all day. As great as that sounds I find myself often stuck with no idea what to listen to. I have resorted to audio books and as fun as that may be nothing beats being exposed to a song you have never listened to our finding a new favourite band.

The Simple MP3 Downloader app is so easy to use it makes me wonder why I ever streamed off Youtube or downloaded from torrent sites. Sometimes you just want the music at your fingertips right now and that is the service this provides. It has three menus on the top, short and to the point. You have the Music search tab, your Downloads tab and the Library of your music. That is all you need to have hours of endless auditory pleasure.

To download a song you simply type in the name or the artist. What I particularly love is that if you type in a song name and the artist name it gives you every possible version of that song. I found myself getting exposed to some phenomenal remixes by DJ’s I had never heard of with a rock band I love. I even ended up finding some hidden treasures of songs that I never even knew an artist had done before. This app gives you all the musical information you could need. How many people loved it, how many downloaded it, song length and what genre it falls under.

This for me is one of the best apps for downloading music. You can even type a genre into the search bar and a list shows up of all the most downloaded songs in that genre. A great feature to add as often the people who rate the music are fans of that particular sub category of music.

Let us not deny how many times you have had a song stuck in your head and all you want to do is instantly listen to it. This is a daunting task as I now have to scroll through all my music folders, of which there are thousands, to find that one song. Now I can just type it into the search bar and there it is, along with every possible version of it that you could fathom.

I spend a lot of time searching for new music and I often leave empty handed. I also get a lot of random songs stuck in my head. It is almost as if the developers of this app had me in mind as their demographic and for that I am thankful. I see the Simple MP3 Downloader being the one essential on every smart phone so we can get smart and efficient about our music.

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Climatology App Review I – Just another weather app

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On 10 July Microsoft released its latest brainchild to the app market, Climatology. I took a big sigh of relief and thought to myself ‘It is about time’. Microsoft’s research team has decided to put all their long and hard work into an app so everyone can be aware of Climatology. This is at least what I thought when I first installed the app. I had recently watched the award winning ‘Chasing Ice’ documentary and hoped that this type of footage and information would be made available. All the information about our climate and global warming awareness would be at my fingertips I thought. I was wrong.

You open the app and it really does not have much to it. There is a spread out world map with colours ranging from blue to red on a grid. This is from -5 degrees which is the lowest to 51 degrees which is the highest. You can select any point on the map and it will show you the temperature as well as which months of the year. On the bottom are three different climate icons you can look for. There is a temperature gauge to show you the average temperature in that region; rain drops to show you the average number of days of rain in a month, and the sun to show you the average percentage of sunshine per day.



That pretty much sums it up and I am needless to say slightly disappointed. I would have thought that if you were going to create an app to show the Climatology of our world that you would use this to your benefit. This could be such an extraordinary platform to create global awareness. There is no point in trying to debate global warming anymore as we can see its effects daily and if not then you are either blind, ignorant or both.

How great would it be if this app could give you useful guides on how to save power and how to cut down on carbon emissions. You could even go as far as adding links to websites or research and really give people a reason to want to keep this app open for more than 10 minutes. It takes so long to scroll to a particular area and for it to load the map, users will get frustrated in no time. I would have loved the option of a search bar on the top to type in the name of a destination.



The Climatology app feels like it does not deserve the hype because it was not made to create awareness but to be a great way to plan events such as holidays and weddings. You can now feel confident in making plans for the future as you can see what the weather might be doing on that day. It is a climate based app so it deserves the name but then it is not much different from other weather apps out there and anyone who has used them can tell you how bad they are at predicting the weather forecast. This app needs a lot more work.

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Meditator App Review I – Perfect timing schedule

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In a new age where everyone is starting to embrace a universal consciousness it is no wonder meditation has shot up in popularity. This ancient practice has now been making headlines for its amazing potential on healing the human body and mind. I even read an article about how Hugh Jackman has meditated for over 20 years. I mean this is Wolverine we are talking about. It got me thinking that there must be something to this. What better way to come to terms with something than to try it out yourself.

I started meditating about a month ago after having been exposed to the incredible writings and teachings of Deepak Chopra. What I found to be most amazing was that he describes how most people are brought into spirituality from having felt extreme suffering. I had been exposed to very negative people and this had over years brought my soul great unrest. Indeed it is true then that suffering is what lead me to this point.

Seeing as I am normally incapable of sitting still for more than five minutes I decided to download a guided ten minute breathing meditation. Before I knew it, on my first ever try I got it right and carried on into a deep meditative state for an hour. Maybe my soul just really needed that time out more than what I knew. Since then my life has honestly changed for the better and my emotions do not govern me even a tenth as much as they did before.

I started doing the Hemi-Sync Gateway Experience designed by Robert Monroe but those each take quite a bit of time. I often wished I had other audio meditative assistance that I could set on a timer. Low and behold I find this newly released app called Meditator. The app is so simple but yet provides what every start out meditation student is looking for.

You can select which meditation session you are looking for from silent to with music, to binary beats and guided meditations. You can even select from a drop down menu of selections for each. For myself though the winning feature is the ability to just set a timer and relax knowing that you will be awoken from your meditation by an automated system. I live a very busy lifestyle and sometimes can only squeeze in 10 minutes and other times I have an hour. This app enables me to plan my meditation schedule to suite my lifestyle.

There is a section where it monitors your achievements however I find this totally unnecessary. If you are doing meditation in order to gain approval than you are missing the entire point of why it has been around for so many years. They should just keep it to the basic layout as that is all you really need. I like the fact that you can select different types of meditation as well, this really makes it more interesting. If you meditate, this app is an essential when you live a busy lifestyle.

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Voice Changer 2 App Review – Some quick and easy laughs

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Amongst my search for the latest in apps that have been released on the market I stumbled across this little treasure. The Voice Changer 2 app was released today and even though I have never used the first one I was intrigued. Especially as it is so entertaining to get a helium voice but always at the expense of some balloons.

I decided that only pure fun could come from trying this app and I was right. It is as simple as the name suggests, it changes your voice to a variety of different sounds. You first press on the microphone icon and record what you want to say. Once recorded you choose to save it and then select which effect you want your voice to have.

There is a helium option which was my first choice and then I found myself having hours of entertainment trying them all out. There is minion, drunkard, smurf and even alien. It was so easy to just push play and listen to which one I liked and then select OK when I want to save it.

In no time my friends were getting sent really creep voice notes as it is as easy to share as it is to record. You just save your option, click on share and choose the multiple options to spread your strange voice messages.

Call it a cheap thrill and there is no way this app will entertain me for much longer. It did however keep me entertained just long enough to give my friends a good laugh. If you looking for some mindless kicks that do not take much time but provide much laughter then this app is for you. I just hope they keep it alive and add even more voices, some famous people couldn’t hurt I guess. Overall a fun experience.

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Duolingo App Review III – It works extremely well

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I have been using the Duolingo app for three weeks now and know how to say more in Spanish than I ever thought was possible. The best part is that I do not sound like a complete idiot and my pronunciation is not too shabby at all. It is as easy as creating an account and advancing step by step through the language skills system. You progress through the different levels from basic language to tense and verb phrases. It can all be done at your own pace which makes it even better.

The true testament to this apps success is how extremely fun it is and how learning eventually feels like you are playing a game. In essence you actually are playing a game. You get three hearts to start with on each level. Each time you answer a question incorrectly, you lose a heart. If you get the answer wrong four times then you need to repeat the level.

Duolingo is a highly motivational app as it allows you to earn points that can be spent on making your own character owl look really cool. You can even get your friends to join you on your quest for knowledge and end up making really great challenges to help you learn. Making the learning experience fun and interactive whether on your own or in a group.

It is designed to teach you from the basics in the beginning to the more advanced in the end. No being thrown in the deep end and forced to swim. The lessons start with basics like male/female and move on to food and phrases. Once the easy part is over you move on to sentence structure and more challenging tasks. What I personally enjoyed was that it not only asked you to translate from Spanish to English but from English to Spanish as well. This really helped me grasp the language as I was now forced to write in it, not just merely guess the words.

My favourite and hands down best attribute to this app is the daily reminders that I receive reminding me of the winning streak I am on and why I should continue with my awesome progress. There is just no beating cheap compliments and a good nudge to keep you motivated. It is either you feel this way or extreme amounts of guilt for having ignored the message.

Duolingo is an entirely free application that can be downloaded onto your smartphone or ipad. It is structured in the best way that I have seen a language course layout. I am a walking and Spanish talking testament to how good this app works. I now feel confident and am determine to follow my three week not one day missed streak of language success. This app will continue to grow into an even more popular sensation once it adds more languages. Duolingo is the best language platform out there and everyone should be using it.

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Line App Review II – The app you need

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The Line app is the best in multi platform communication apps. It was designed in Japan after an earthquake when all communication systems were down. Since then it has spread globally like wild fire and has become one of the essential apps for every phone. It can be used on android, OS or Blackberry. It has a comprehensive platform of features and can satisfy any way you wish to get your message across for free.

Once you install the app you can sign up with your mobile number, no need for unnecessary accounts to be created. You can add your friends from a contact list or make group chats, you can even scan a barcode or simply shake your phones next to one another. A very fun feature I might add. If your friends don’t have Line it is as simple as sending an sms or e-mail to invite them.

What makes this app so efficient and well liked in my opinion is the multiple platforms you can choose from. You can make free calls or send contact information, images, videos or voice notes. It incorporates all the ways we like to communicate with each other into one app. The quality may not be as great as Skype but it still works and does not lag.

You can add cool games or buy stickers to send to your friends. There are even a few freebies in between for you to take advantage of. You will even find the option to leave a voice message if the person misses your call. As well as it provides a timeline to keep you up to date with what your friends are doing. The nice thing is that it does not go off with notifications but instead only opens when you open the Line app. No annoying updates going off every two minutes.

The only possible thing I could think of that would make this app better would be if it could call landline numbers. I have total faith though that with time the popularity will keep growing and the developers will find a way to fix this one small issue. Line allows you to create your own social network and offers you the ability to make groups of up to 100 people or more.

There is not one bad word that can be said about an app that combined the best of all the other apps and made the best communication network out there. Born from a disaster and destined for great success, you should delete all the chat apps you knew before and switch to the new revolution. You should ensure you have a good internet connection so that you can fully take advantage of all the cool features and to make sure you call quality is always at its best. You will find yourself spending more time on Line than you would on Facebook. It allows you to share with those who matter the most to you in the best way possible.

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Panic Button App Review III – The accidental distress call

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I want to laugh so hard at the fact that I actually predicted what I am about to write about. In my first review I stated that I could see something going wrong with the Amnesty International Panic Button App. I stated that we have all made accidental pocket dials so it is only a matter of time until an accidental distress signal is sent. Low and behold that is how my poor parents were shocked this fine Monday morning.

I mentioned the problem I felt this app would face would be with the slide unlock function on the android phones of today. I decided to go to the Post Office this morning and put my phone into a pouch on my wallet. Upon arriving home I got a phone call from my mom ‘Are you in trouble?’. I respond ‘No why? Did you get a bad feeling?’. She informs me that her, my dad and boyfriend all received a distress signal.

I began to apologise profusely for the false alarm and proceed to let everyone know that I am in fact alive and okay. At no point had I opened my wallet or touched my phone so the concern I had in the beginning with the slide action happened to be true. Somehow the touch sensitive screen rubbed against my wallets fabric and opened the app and pushed buttons. As crazy as this sounds to have occurred so perfectly, it did.

There is no reason to believe it will not happen again. I was tempted to uninstall this app and told my parents this after apologising profusely for giving them such a massive fright. They made a very wise point and said that if it did anything it just proved that the app works. They were sent my location as well so they knew where I would have been. It even went as far as contacting my boyfriend on Viber as his text would not go through.

The advise that I would give however is that the app has to be opened with a passkey, just to prevent the touch screen from doing its own thing. It causes quite the scare when the panic button is activated by accident. By adding a simple pass key of even two numbers it could prevent this from happening.

Amnesty International’s App is still a brilliant idea and has been tested to work, even if it was not intentional. Luckily I had told my contacts that they were on the list so they were fully aware of what was going on. Well done to Amnesty International, this is a great way to notify the ones you love that you are in trouble. It is essential that this becomes a must on everyone’s phone and that they really consider the passkey option. This simple adjustment would make things run a lot smoother especially when our phones are so smart that they do their own thing.

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Slingshot App Review III – Tried, tested and failed.

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I can at least say that by the time I write this review I have truly given this app the benefit of the doubt. Instead of it being a tool for me to communicate with friends through image sharing, it has become a beeping pain in my behind. There is just nothing to it that defines it as anything special except that you cannot view an image till you send one back.

This app is not meant for the world, it is designed for a demographic. That would be teenagers who spend their waking lives sharing selfies and pictures all day long. By no means is there anything wrong with that but then don’t give the impression that it is meant for everyone. Because ‘everyone’ does not have all day to send pictures as we are too busy working to earn money to pay bills.

I know I went on to mention that the apparent concept behind this is quite clever in that it forces people to provide content instead of just view content, this is rubbish. Facebook is a business and so they will say whatever they have to in order to create a craze and make people feel like they are experiencing something different. Snapchat works better and has more features so sorry Facebook but you lose.

Have you not seen the multiple videos out there trying to inspire us to live our lives and not just sit on our phones disconnected from human interaction. Facebook is used for one of three things. First is for those who feel the need to fuel their arrogance all day looking their best and making out as if their lives are perfect. No one is perfect or looks good and feels good all day, if you do then you are a robot. Secondly it makes other people feel worse about themselves because they scroll through the newsfeed all day and compare themselves to others. Thirdly and lastly is the worst Facebook user, those who use it as a diary and status updates go off every 15min. Enough said.

When it comes to the Slingshot app, it should be taken with as much as the grain of salt with which we take Facebook. From a human interaction perspective Snapchat blows Slingshot out the water just on the basis that there is a chat feature. Slingshot is a really dumb idea and no one but pre-teens and teens would enjoy this craze. If not them then people who have too much time. You can say that I am pessimistic but perhaps I just prefer the old school way of just sending someone I care about a personal message or making a phone call.

Slingshot is going to be forgotten just like every app Facebook tried before. Let those like Snapchat and other popular apps do what they do best, work well. Do not waste your time and download it, rather use another platform. They tried to do something clever but I just don’t see it working that well. It is time to uninstall.

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Duolingo App Review II – Fun Language Learning

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I have been so excited to give another report on Duolingo that I am tempted to recite my cheap Spanish phrases but I think have tortured my household enough. Never in my life have I ever enjoyed learning a new language so much. I decided to start with Spanish based on advice from friends. They say it is the easiest way to ease into other languages when you are done. So I click on start and begin my first lesson.

Not even two minutes and I have completed Basic 1 Lesson 1. Wow can it really be that easy? Yes it can. I think what makes this app so great for learning is that it is designed with such a clever way of teaching the language. You can get a question where there are four pictures and you have to select which is the boy in Spanish. There are chances for you to easily guess the translation or have to type it out which is a bit more challenging. It even includes sentence structure and a fun way to practise by repeating phrases into the microphone.

I can confidently say that you will be kept entertained for hours. Before you know it you have learnt Spanish, French, German, Italian or Portuguese. I am by no means a natural linguist and so it is not like I take easily to learning new languages. The unique concept to this course is that each course is broken up into sub categories that are easy to follow when done sequentially. You use the information used before to help understand the new information. Each category has about 3 levels that you need to complete.

Every time you get a question correct or incorrect you have a buzzer go off that sounds like it comes from a TV Game Show. You have three hearts to start off with and each time you get a question incorrect you lose a heart. There is a progress bar above it that shows how far you are through the level. The sad owl and its adorable face pop up if you do not advance. Once completing a category you have a small brain test at the end that you can do over again whenever you like. It compresses the information for you to test yourself and get some practice.

Besides it being extremely useful, entertaining, fun and at times frustrating this app is the Best! The feature I love the most is that each day I get a message that reminds me that I am on a winning streak and should continue. The guilt of ignoring this message is too much to stand so you end up doing a level or two. It is so much fun you cannot help but want to. If you are looking for a relaxed way to learn a new language that does not feel like a drag then this is the app that you need in your life.

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Udacity App Review II – Not the best MOOC available

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I was born with a natural thirst for knowledge and have spent as much time as I can on consistently developing myself and learning new things. I know that I am most certainly not a minority and that there are many, who like myself, do not have enough time or finance to get another degree. The great thing about living in this day and age is that information is at our fingertips. There are so many different online qualifications you have to choose from.

Information is the one thing that has become more freely available. I have registered for my fair share of online courses before so I decided to give the Udacity app a try. I wanted to see if it was any better or worse than the ones out there already.

Udacity is what is referred to as a MOOC, this is the name given to any online institution that offers a study course to large groups. There are no admission requirements for such institutions and the student is getting a free certification. It is this factor that draws people into an app such as Udacity. It is designed in such a way that you can do the course at your own pace which is very important when we live such busy lives.

As impersonal as it may seem, there is actually a better level of feeling more involved with such courses. The lecturer is often available to answer questions or assist when possible. You do not feel as overwhelmed as what you would in a lecture hall of two hundred students. It does require however that you are self disciplined and motivated to work on your own. You can do anything from a beginners course to advanced and in a variety of different fields.

Once complete with your course you get what is known as a Statement Of Achievement which is a verified certificate. These can really boost your resume when looking for jobs in specific industries. It should be noted that these are considered a course experience when using the free version. When they say free it is limited to only certain available free courses. You can pay anything from $100 plus a month to buy access to a course, this in turn forces you to finish the course faster to avoid having to pay even more. In my opinion it is taking away from doing it at your own pace as now you rush to save money and understand less of the course work.

The Udacity app is growing in success each day and attracting more and more people. There are features I wish were available such as the ability to download the videos and watch them offline. The speed control would be great as well. Other than these tiny little issues, it is overall a pleasure to use and I really enjoy what I am learning. I just wish that when something said it was free that every part of it was. Some more categories of courses would be great as well.

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Panic Button App Review II – The right app for those in dangerous environments

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The Panic Button App released by Amnesty International has a far greater purpose than just helping us out in a bind. The inspiration behind this idea was that there were far too many situations where human activists where being kidnapped, falsely arrested or abducted. Amnesty International had no way of getting in touch with these people without a mountain of paperwork and officials to answer to. In many countries the authorities have jacked up their surveillance efforts in order to capture and torture these human rights groups at meetings or protests.

On a daily basis people’s lives are being unnecessarily put in jeopardy because of their belief systems or need to protect others who don’t have a voice. It is for this reason that the creation of this app was vital. This occurs every day in so many different countries that we are kept oblivious to. It was not solely designed for activists but for anyone who is exposed to dangerous environments daily. This could be a journalist, lawyer or anyone living in an oppressive regime.

The first few hours of someone being falsely attacked, imprisoned or kidnapped is vital and that is common knowledge by now. This app is disguised as a calculator on your smart phone and when you tap the button five times or the power button, a call for help is sent. You select your three contacts and it is advised that you ensure your contacts are reliable and aware of being on your help list.

There are two very strong winning factors to this app, the lesser being it is less than 1Mb so does not require much memory space being used. The best element however being that of when your distress message is sent, so is your phone’s geo-location. It updates every five minutes with your location until the battery dies.

A downfall to this though is that you may only get the chance to send one emergency signal. Most attackers would know that you take the persons personal belongings and destroy them. This is unless they feel the need to contact someone to discuss ransom. In my country cellphone theft happens every second and these thieves know to turn off the phone and destroy the sim card. This is petty crime but if they think this way, who can say that the authorities who attack activists would not know this.

Amnesty International can be commended on really using technology to advance the safety of those who are trying to do the right thing. There is no doubt in my mind that so many more lives will be saved for this app being made. It is an asset to anyone who works in a dangerous environment no matter what that may be. For myself living in a country with a very high crime rate and kidnappings on the rise, this app is essential. The design is clever and well hidden and even if you only get to send one distress signal, it is one you would have not had before.

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Slingshot App Review II – Is it really a competitor to Snapchat

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Well I must say that I was not the biggest fan of Slingshot to begin with and now I see things differently. It is no secret that this will be Facebook’s third attempt at trying to compete with Snapchat and the fact that it is the third attempt does not leave one hopeful. The app was designed by Joey Flynn in six months and was launched as Facebook’s first, and possibly last, stand alone app. I think the only way to truly get down to the bottom of this is to weigh up the positives and the negatives. So here it is:

POSITIVES

The positive is that Slingshot is in fact not looking to be like Snapchat in the essence of it. The idea is based on the fact that only 10% of us actually post content and the other 90% merely just sit by and watch. Slingshot wants you as the user to get involved in sharing instead of just scrolling through a newsfeed. There is no way to ‘like’ a photo or a place to add comments, it is sharing your life through visual imagery. By forcing us to send something back it enables us to become part of the sharing instead of sitting on the sidelines.

The quality of the app is definitely there with the ability to enlarge text and add very cool animations. The drawing allows you to adjust colour, size and thickness of the lines with ease. The app is fast and feels far better thought out than Snapchat when it comes to layout. It is already linked to Facebook which makes it even easier to add contacts. You can also control your groups which allows for better privacy.

The images are deleted once viewed which is great as they now never have to be seen again. It also takes the pressure off from every image having to be overly edited or perfectly airbrushed.

NEGATIVES

Slingshot’s biggest difference to Snapchat is that the image shows up blurred until you send an image back. This in my opinion causes irritation because now I am forced into sending something to you in order to view the message. Maybe I just don’t have anything to share, so now I take a picture of the floor so I can see your photo.

On Snapchat one has the option to chat, where as with Slingshot you can only send text with an image. This is frustrating because if I want to speak to my friend about an image that was really funny I have to use another platform to do so. This seems pointless.

A big downside is that your username can be posted publicly or if it is simple, be guessed. This enables complete strangers to try to sling you things, and they may not be the things you want to see. If this happens you first should report them and then just swipe left on their name and hide them forever.

THE VERDICT

Slingshot is entirely its own style of app and people should see it that way. It is meant to be a revolutionising idea of getting us to interact instead of just scrolling through others lives. Sometimes we cannot find the words and Slingshot allows us the option to share a moment with an image. It gets us involved!

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Duolingo App Review – The fun way to learn language

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I do not consider myself much of a linguist and that is surely not for lack of trying. I have on more than one occasion attempted the Pimsleur Language Guides or found myself buying phrase books only for them to collect dust on my bookshelves. My best friend, who is a linguist, spent hours torturing me with language CD’s in her car on the way out to a party. So far I can say only one sentence in 5 languages. Great help that does for when I actually need to say something it will be ‘Hi my name is’ or ‘Where is the bathroom?’.

I was a bit reluctant to now have to attempt another language learning programme. Duolingo is an application for your phone that you can sync to an account you create with them to track your progress. You can learn English, Spanish, French, Italian, German or Portuguese. The course is designed to be fun and let me tell you that from someone with my language history, this app is Awesome! The course work is designed in such a way that each phase you do only takes a few minutes at most.

I decided to tackle Spanish and found myself really entertained and absorbed for about 20 minutes just trying to get past phase 1. You get little hearts that accumulate at the top for each question you get right. If you do not get enough then you do not advance. The course has a really incredible layout with such stunning graphics.

Phase 1 takes you through pictures where you select the correct words, every click on the answer will say the word out in that language. You can also have an opportunity to translate the sentence and it all is really easy. There is a section where you select the missing word from multiple choice answers or translate the sentence. If you do not get enough hearts then a very sad owl tells you that you did not make it.

By simply just scrolling through the course material you will be so excited to see how they have laid everything out. The course starts with basics and divides all the material into such interesting sub categories. If you feel you know the work there is even an option to take a shortcut and advance to the level that is best suited to your language experience.

I am now for the first time really excited to learn a new language and not feel like a complete moron repeating phrases over and over again. Duolingo is designed with such great imagery and an extremely fun way of learning. It has now become a game to advance to the next level in each language and I am so entertained doing it.

This app should be commended for making such a useful way of learning and for making it so much easier to understand. I look forward to the hours of fun I am about to have learning a language that seemed so difficult before.

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Udacity App Review – Online education just got better

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I could not have been happier when I heard that Udacity became available for android. Now I have access to courses at my fingertips wherever I go, could it get better? Udacity is an app that is a testament to online learning and definitely one of the forerunners. This app is there for anyone who has a thirst for knowledge no matter what your interests may be.

I would especially consider forcing kids about to go to college to do some of their courses and get a taste for what they are in for.

You create an account and then read through the different courses available until you stumble across one that peaks your interest. You can find a detailed description of the course materials and the lecturer. The course material is also made up of videos of lectures and course material. Once you have made your choice, it is as easy as simply starting your course.

A huge benefit is that you can do these courses at your own pace and time. No stressful deadlines or teachers breathing down your necks. This is great as you can take your time and really ensure you grasp the course material. You choose the time in your day, whether you have 15min or an hour, it is all your choice. There is no age limit or credit restriction, the world of knowledge is available to you for a more affordable price than some of your other options.

The concept was that this style of learning would appeal to your more ambitious students who are self disciplined. Your options are endless, from how to design an app to the beginner basics of psychology. Your thirst for knowledge can be satisfied right in the palm of your hand. You even get a verified certificate upon completion that you can attach when applying for jobs to show you have the required skills. Udacity allows you to do the courses on a beginner, intermediate or advanced level.

The courses are more affordable than a college education would be. They even offer you the option of earning credits towards your fees. What a great way to motivate the world into learning without restrictions.

You can do some free courses and track your progress as you go. The videos auto-forwards once you have completed each one without you having to open them one at a time. There are many discussions you can join to communicate with others who are also taking advantage of this great learning experience.

The only downside that I can seem to point out is the fact that the app does not have an offline function. This would be really helpful for those situations when you do not have Wifi access. Not the end of the world though as most coffee shops these days have free Wifi anyway. So all you have to do is take a seat, have a cup of coffee and learn something you did not know before.

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Slingshot App Review – So disappointed

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Well I know I must probably stand as a minority when it comes to disliking this app as the exceeding popularity grows daily.Slingshot is pretty much the same concept as Snapchat and is just as simple to use with only one real function, to capture images.

You take a picture and send it to a friend. Here is the catch, your friend is only able to view the picture once they ‘sling’ a picture back to you. You can upload pictures from your gallery or one that you take on the spot, it is your choice. The idea is fun if you are looking for a game to play with your friends. There are just unfortunately far too many varieties of apps on the market that do the same thing built in.



The true genius behind this app is the way they have taken advantage of human curiosity. As human beings you cannot have someone send you a blank picture that you cannot see and not keep wondering what it looks like. They must have spent more time and money developing on the brain science instead of the app itself.

Our need to know now becomes a pain in our side for those who are too busy to be sending images back and forth. The developers know however that not knowing will just drive us insane until we see succumb and capture an image so we can see what we were sent.

I do believe there are people who would enjoy this app and have enough time to get really interesting with it, oh wait, that is not possible. The app has not got any photo editing tools or added features of any kind. So if want to send an edited picture you need to use a different app and then share it. In my opinion this defeats the point as people LOVE to edit and play around with their photos. It just seems like far too much effort when I can just send my friends pictures over Whatsapp, Line or Facebook as I have always done.

I tried to download this app about a week ago but it was not available in my country until about two days ago. What a really big disappointment, I really expected more than what I have encountered from this app thus far. The developers justify not adding any extra tools to ensure it runs faster. In my opinion if I have nothing to do all day but send pictures to my friends, time is not really my concern or how fast it works.

Maybe in time I will find a better use for this app but for now I am too busy enjoying my life instead of spamming it with others. I do tend to prefer apps that are more practical but I can think of at least five that are more practical than this with the same functions. Instagram already owns the photo market so Slingshot should just quit while they are behind as there is no chance for decent competition here.

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Line – The social app of the century

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This app has taken every idea we consider to be social interaction and crammed it all into one perfect app that does everything you could need. Its good reputation started in Asia and it has now gone viral and reached over 230 countries worldwide. To date there are over 470 million users taking advantage of this amazing FREE service. It offers so many features that this app will truly revolutionize the way that we socialize with one another.

It is so easy to set up as all you need to do is put in your phone number and sync it to your contacts. You are now open to a whole new way of sharing your life with others. It is putting apps such as Skype, Viber and Whatsapp to shame. Even stepping on the toes of Facebook and Dropbox a little. I do think their cute manga stickers were what hit the kids market in Asia for sure.

You have access to unlimited voice and video calls and messages anywhere in the world to anyone who uses Line. You are also able to send a variety of media from images and videos to voice notes. It also has an awesome snap movie feature that allows you to take quick videos with amazing effects and backing music to send to your loved ones.

How easy is it to add your friends you ask? So basic you simply have to open Line and shake your phones next to one another. What a clever and fun way to add and make friends. It also automatically links to your Facebook as well as your contact list on your phone.

You can have one on one chat, group chat or chats of up to 100 people. There are thousands of emoticons and cool stickers to add in when words cannot say enough. You also get a timeline much like Facebook that you can share with close family and friends. Line is truly taking the best features from each social networking app and compiling it into one awesome app that cannot be beat.

When you think it could not get better, it does. Line also offers you exclusive access to coupons for all your best social hangout spots. You can even follow your most loved artists, TV shows or celebrities and catch all the latest news and features.

The options with this app are endless and it deserves all the recognition it gets. It is refreshing to know that you can now do all that you need to on one app and can get rid of all the others. The quality of the video calls is great and the layout of the app is simple to use. Line is the social app of the century that will connect the world on one platform and provides us all the tools we need to stay connected.

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Panic Button App Review – The new way of saving lives

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The app was designed by Amnesty International in the hope to be able to better assist human rights defenders in cases of emergency or distress. The hope being to help their colleagues or even journalists in dangerous situations when it is most needed. The first few hours from abduction or arrest are the most crucial and this app allows their colleagues to be found.

It goes without saying that this app is a must for anyone who owns a mobile phone, which is everyone in our technology driven age. You never really think you need such an app until something happens and you wished you did. The increase in crime and kidnappings has forced us to think smart about how to get out of bad situations.

The app itself is easy to download and install. When opened for the first time you immediately begin your set up. It starts with identifying the three people who you would call out to in the case of an emergency. It is advised to ensure they are aware of you having this app and what to do when receiving the distress signal. Once adding in the contacts you can now begin to test to make sure that all the signals work correctly on the phone. The panic button can be pushed either on the screen or by the power button on the side.

The app is designed in such a clever way that once you have completed the setup it automatically disguises itself as a calculator on your phone menu. This ensures that even in the worst case scenario where your attacker takes your phone away from you, there will be no sign of you having sent a distress call.

What happens is that when you repetitively tap on the calculator buttons or power button, your distress signal is sent immediately to your contacts. This is in the form of a text message that is sent to the three contacts given when you set up the app. You can even go as far as to add in what you want the message to say or perhaps specific code words you have shared with your contacts. The message will also give your GPS co-ordinates of the last place recorded which is extremely handy in a bad situation.

The only flaw in design is not with the app itself but with android phones in general that are touch sensitive. I know that I cannot be the only one in the world who has made a few pocket dial calls by having my phone in my pocket or handbag. With most android phones and the slide lock this is not easy to avoid. It will only be a matter of time until you start hearing some stories about people getting false distress signals.

Overall this panic button app is a genius idea and will surely save many lives, especially for those who work in dangerous environments. The design concept is simple and easy to use without any added unnecessary features. You can have that chance to call for help when you really need it.

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5 Best Free Apps For Your Sony Xperia Z1 Smartphone

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Sony has introduced several smartphones into the market until today. However, one such smartphone that is popular amongst people for its amazing features is none other than Sony Xperia Z1. Apart from having great reviews, this phone is well-known for its water-proof and incredible camera feature. In the following paragraphs, we share with you top 5 best apps that you can download for free for your Sony Xperia Z1 smartphone:

1. Adobe Photoshop Express

The first and foremost important app to download for your Sony Xperia Z1 is Adobe Photoshop Express. We all know that Adobe is not only one of the top most developer company in the market, but it is also a company that has come up with many great softwares for professional and personal users. Since Xperia Z1 smartphone comes with a fantastic camera, editing and personalizing the snaps captured by you is a must. Adobe Photoshop Express is a great mobile app that can be downloaded for free. The app comes in with 20+ pre-installed Photoshop effects and can be easily used every time you wish to edit your snaps, or want to make them look more amazing and personalized.

2. Instagram

For all you social network fanatics, GooglePlus, Twitter and Facebook come pre-installed on your phone, but one important app that you must not miss downloading on your Sony Xperia Z1 smartphone is the Instagram app.

3. MapMyHike

The third best app that is a must for your Sony Xperia Z1 smartphone is the MapMyHike app. This app is specifically developed for hikers who wish to keep a track of the time and distance covered by them. This great app also records the pace of the hiker and shows averages.

4. Flicker

Looking for a photo sharing service? Your search ends here with Flicker app. This fast service photo sharing app helps you with sharing your HD images captured on your Sony Xperia Z1 smartphone with friends and family instantly. Thus, downloading this free Flicker app for your mobile phone is ideal.

5. Reddit

The fifth best app for your Sony Xperia Z1 mobile phone is the Reddit app. This application comes in with a great User-Interface (UI) and is mobile-friendly. The Reddit app has something for everyone, be it news, entertainment, social networking service, etc.

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Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd Game Review

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For someone who did play in his predecessor, this one is not easy at all. You may have enjoyed winning on the earlier Project Diva, but this one is quite hard. No level is easy as I can to find out after getting knocked out a number of times, even on the easy mode. It can be disgusting if one is playing competitively but if one has been winning all along in the first version, well this one is for you.

The goodness about it is the return of the Edit Mode- 747MB free and can be downloaded from the PSN store- for anyone who wishes to edit the game to suit them. The accompanying songs however can be downloaded, although these user-created tracks can hove some copyrights in different places, you may need to confirm in you region. The list is good but it misses that catchy ones, having a total of 20 of them, returning a number of them including Sakura No Ame- Cherry Blossom Rain- enhanced from the earlier version in which Miku was singing and dancing under a cherry blossom tree with a few outdoor likes of a school here and there.

The new version has Miku with more power and style. She walks around in her old high school uniform while recording as a school teacher in Japan, quite interesting!

The 2nd version is still the best though, from the menus to the characters and Star notes makes a return although the design is not amusing at all. Activating it with the touch screen, back touch pad or the analog sticks do no good at all because the earlier one had no issues. The goodness with the recent version will be enjoyed more by someone who played the first version; otherwise it won’t bring the goodness desired. Hatsune Miku: Project Diva 2nd is a good rhyme game, am sure all fans will like the tunes.

In short, this version will not require one to go for any Japanese classes although knowledge on some katakana will help figure out on the way in the menu. In the diva room, lots of reading will help one know what they are doing while an advanced level of Japanese will be required to get the meaning out of the music editor commands. If you know nothing about the Japanese, just stick with the default songs. I can summarize this one as 9/10, not bad though!

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Hatsune Miku, Project Diva F 2nd – The Exclusive Game Review

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For those guys who love recent games, Hatsune Miku Diva F 2nd is the ultimate game for them. It is a 2014 game developed by Sega and released on 27th March 2014 in Japan. It is a rhythm generic game available in two platforms; Play station Vita and Play Station 3.With a combination of unique features, the game is prudent and designed for you. The song lists contained in the gameplay ships your world of fantasy to a reality just at your palms.

Hatsune Miku, Project Diva F 2nd has two modes standard and easy modes. I have played both modes and it was a great fun punching the buttons and letting the melodious music sink into my head. The game modes were on its normalcy giving me the options of hard, easy, extreme and highly extreme. Though the game seems easy, you can brush shoulders in one way or the other. The game is so exciting and although there are a few difficulties here and there, the newcomers are recommended to start playing from Hatsune Miku; Project Diva (2013 version) for a grand preparation for Hatsune Miku; Project Diva F 2nd.

With Hatsune Miku; Project Diva F 2nd in your play station, you can make a great edit to the playlists by your own. The edit mode is the best for your preference. I was able to add some more songs to my list of songs and you can imagine how thrilling and exciting it can be to have your favorite track in your song list. Though some songs have copyrights inscribed on them, the user has vast options to choose from especially the user-friendly tracks. Their user-friendly feature makes it the best and wonderful game for you.

This version of Miku is way far better that it’s former. With its brilliant and wonderful menus, the game is made more ideal. If you have not played the game, then it is high time you visit your store and order one. Hatsune Miku; Project Diva F 2nd is a game worth playing. Go for it!

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