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APP ADDICT APP ADDICT
Matthew Phillips
ARTISTIK ARTISTIK Columnist Columnist
matt@artistikmagazine.com
matt@artistikmagazine.com
Every so often an app comes along that enhances the use of your
mobile device in such a way, that you may wonder how you were
able to ever function without it. With a multitude of apps to choose
from, how do you know what’s worth the download?
One of the great things about mobile applications is the capabilities that it opens to you that never
existed before. Before the use of this technology, who could have imagined that one day you will be
able to do just about anything by tapping and swiping? In this column, I will be reviewing applications
pertaining to the categories of productivity, business, entertainment and reference.
DropBox
FREE
Category: Productivity
Compatibility: Android, BlackBerry,
iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch
Rating: 10
DropBox allows you to seamlessly sync and share files from your
computer to your mobile device via Internet connection. You can
share just about anything including music and word documents.
When you first open DropBox, you will be prompted to create an
account. Creating an account is fast and easy; there is no wait and
it can be done directly from the device you are using. The service
comes in three versions: Basic (which offers 2GB of storage at no
cost), Pro 50 (50GB of storage for $9.99/month or $99.00/year), or
Pro 100 (100GB of storage for $19.99/month or $199.99/year.)
This app gives you three menu options which are located at the bottom
of your device screen: Favorites, My Dropbox, and Settings. Favorites
contains files that you have marked to view when your device is offline.
My Dropbox lists all of the files that you have stored in the Dropbox cloud
storage facility. The Settings option lets you link your device to your
Dropbox account and the email you use to register with Dropbox.com.
The interface is simple, clean, and is loaded with all of the necessary
tools for file sharing. There is also a memory bar that lets users know
when they are about to exceed their storage limits.
Timewerks
$9.99
Category: Business
Compatibility: iPhone, iPod touch.
Rating: 7
TimeWerks is a mobile billing app that allows users to keep track
of time spent on client jobs and the cost of materials used. Using
TimeWerks is easy enough for most tasks. The main screen
gives you access to see your clients at a glance, projects you are
currently working on, invoices set to go out, and a list of materials
used in the project. Adding a client is easy. If the client is already
in your phone book, TimeWerks will automatically pull all of their
information for the invoice (e.g., name, phone number, email, and
address) into the app. You can create a variety of invoices which
include different rates for different tasks, factor in taxes, and use
different currencies to figure out the bottom line.
Once the job is done, you can email the client an HTML or PDFformatted
invoice. One of the best features of TimeWerks is its
ability to track time spent on a project even if the app is closed. If
you happen to need assistance, there’s a comprehensive help file to
guide you.
Brushes
$9.99 (iPad)
$4.99 (iPhone and iPod touch)
Category: Entertainment
Compatibility: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch.
Rating: 10
Brushes has a simple purpose: to create dynamic artwork on your
iPad, iPhone or Pod Touch. Notably, Artist Jorge Colombo used
this app to create the cover of the June 2009 issue of New Yorker
magazine. When you launch Brushes, a large thumbnail gallery of
all of your paintings is displayed. By touching one, you can begin
editing. The Interface is truly simple. The bottom houses a toolbar
which features a color picker, eye dropper tool, and paint bucket.
To the left you will find the brush, brush styles, and an eraser. In the
middle, are the all-important Undo and Redo; while all of the layers
you create can be found to the right. A unique feature in Brushes is
the fact that it will save all of your artwork automatically so if you
happen to leave the app for whatever reason, your work is not lost.
Just launch the app, tap on your project and continue. After you
have created your image, you can upload it to Flickr or e-mail it to
friends and family. The app even allows you to connect your iPad to
your television via a VGA output where you can display your artwork
as a slideshow. Nothing is too hard to understand with Brushes. Just
select a tool and begin creating your very own masterpiece.
Color Expert
$9.99
Category: Reference
Compatibility: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch.
Rating: 8
Color Expert helps artists and designers identify, translate, and
show color using their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. You can use
the interactive color wheel to identify a target color and then
find several palettes backed by color theory. There are several
color schemes supported including Monochromatic, Analogous,
Complementary, Split Complementary, and Triadic.
This app allows users to photograph colors on anything and then
capture the RGB values of colors within the image. A unique feature
of Color Expert is that it gives you the RGB or the closest Pantone
CMS equivalent which makes this app ideal for photographers and
graphic designers who work in print. Once your color is in samples,
Color Expert displays the color on an adjustable color wheel
where you can create color palettes from a built-in library of color
harmonies. When you’ve created a color palette that you like, you
can then e-mail it to yourself or to a client. This app is great for
beginners and professionals alike.
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